GPA

I am a member of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) and I would encourage anyone who isn't already a member to become one. Not only do they offer support should you need it, but it is also a way to support other homeschoolers. They also have many wonderful articles and resources which are helpful for the busy homeschool mom. I recently received their article on the dreaded GPA. In my effort to help those to not be in the position where you have to quickly do a transcript, I have included some of their thoughts here. I have not included the entire article as it is rather long, but the nuts and bolts of what is a GPA, and how to compute it are included below . . . . I trust it will help you as you continue to work out that High School Transcript.

Definition

The wiktionary definition of grade point average is “a method of computing a numerical value for letter grades received in school by assigning each a numeric value and averaging the numbers.” You will notice from some of the transcript templates listed on our high school website, that there are often two sets of GPAs shown—yearly and cumulative. Each of these is calculated a bit differently so we’ll take a look at how to compute both types.

Yearly GPA

The first step to computing the yearly GPA is to convert each letter grade to points. For example, an A equals 4 points, a B equals 3 points, a C equals 2 points, and so forth. The grade points are then multiplied by the number of credits a course earned resulting in what is known as quality points. An example will clarify this operation. Let's say that a student received a letter grade of an “A” in Algebra I. The first step is to convert the letter grade of an A to 4 points and multiply by 1 credit for a total of 4 quality points. In addition, if a student takes a one semester health course earning one-half credit and receives a “B,” then calculate the quality points as follows: multiply .5 credits by 3 grade points for a total of 1.5 quality points. Continue this operation for each course your teen takes in a given school year.

The next step of the computation will be to total the quality points for all courses and divide by the total number of credits earned in a given year, rounding the answer to two decimal places. This results in the yearly GPA. You may find it helpful to review these steps on the GPA computation example we have listed in our in our transcript section of the website.

When calculating the yearly GPA, there are some factors to take into consideration. (Isn’t it always the case that as soon as you think something is cut and dry, someone throws you a curve?!) Well, here is one of those situations. If you give pass/fail grades for any of your courses, the credits for these courses will be included in the sum of credits shown on the high school transcript, but they will not be used in computing the GPA. When calculating the GPA, you will need to subtract the pass/fail credits out of the total number of credits for that year before dividing by the total number of quality points. An illustration may help.

Total credits for one year: 6.5 (including .5 credit for a course graded pass/fail)Total quality points: 21.5 Compute GPA: 21.5 divided by 6 (6.5 minus .5) equals 3.58

Another curve—if you plan to attach +’s and –’s to your letter grades, then your grade points will need to reflect that. For instance, an A+ will compute to 4.3 points rather than the usual 4 points. An A–, however, will be 3.7 points; a B+ (3.3 points); B– (2.7 points); and so on.

With this information in hand, you are now ready to calculate the GPA for each individual year of high school.
Next let’s turn our attention to computing the cumulative GPA over the course of all four years.

Cumulative GPA

Since you want to show an overall average of your child’s high school work and not an average of the averages, you should not simply add up all the yearly GPAs and divide by 4 (the number of years). Instead, to calculate a cumulative GPA, it will be necessary to add all the quality points from 9th through 12th grades and divide by the sum of all four years of credits (first subtracting out any pass/fail credits).
If you wish to include a running cumulative GPA for each year of high school, then you will need to do the above operation in steps. Obviously, the yearly and cumulative GPAs for the 9th grade will be the same. For 10th grade, you will add the quality points from both 9th and 10th and divide that sum by the total number of credits (minus any pass/fail credits) for both those years. Then in the 11th grade, you will again go back to 9th grade and add all the quality points through the 11th grade and divide by the sum of the credits for those three years. The 12th grade computations will be completed in the same fashion and the resulting GPA will be both the cumulative GPA for 12th grade as well as the grand cumulative GPA for all four years of high school.

Starting out the school year right!

It is Labor Day weekend and most of us have probably already started school or are just getting ready to start. If you need help getting and staying organized, I wanted to suggest a site which I have found very helpful.

Donna Young has put together a website which has many forms and templates which you will find helpful in staying organized while homeschooling. She has daily lesson plans, transcripts, checklist forms, you name it and she probably already has a form for it. So don't reinvent the wheel, just give a click and see if you can find what you are looking for at her FREE downloadable site.

Get $25 Off Sonlight Order!!

This morning I received an email titled "Get $25 off Sonlight order", but nothing in the e-mail said anything about $25 off. Later today I received this letter from Sonlight explaining that an error was made but that they were going to extend the offer to everyone. It doesn't last long, but what a deal! I love this company!! Read on for the details.


Dear Kim,

I am deeply embarrassed. Yesterday afternoon, in preparing my letter about five reasons to order sooner rather than later, we accidentally attached the wrong subject line to the email you received. I had prepared that subject line for a different email headed to a group of people who had never purchased from Sonlight before. I wanted to see if a special offer might help these non-customers place their first order.

The subject line for that email offered $25 off the recipient's Sonlight order. The email these non-customers received specified a time limit on the offer, as well as a minimum order total of $250.

This morning I discovered we sent that subject line to everyone who has bought anything from Sonlight in the last two years!

Yikes ... NOT what we had intended! Talk about expensive mistakes.

But I talked with John and Sarita, who said, "You gave your word. You must fulfill your promise ... Since you've got lemons, do what you can to make some lemonade."

So we're going to do something we pray doesn't completely swamp our computer system and warehouse crew. I can imagine it may slow our ability to process orders for a few days, but...

We have decided to honor the promise of my last email to you in the following manner:

Since you've ordered from us before, we're extending the offer (originally intended for families new to Sonlight) to you for a very limited time. Place your order worth $250 or more (not including shipping) no later than 11:59 p.m. (MDT) tomorrow (7/23) and you will receive $25 off. That's in addition to any Sonlighter Club discounts you may receive.

Just enter PRXDY in the box marked "Special Offer Code" at Step 2 of check out.

I hope this little bit of "lemonade" is a blessing to you.

Sincerely,
Tim Heil
Customer Relations Manager
Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.

Book Give Away!

Even as a little girl I have always loved books! My mom would drop me off at the library while she ran errands and I would search out books to my heart's content! My love of books is one of the main reasons I was drawn to Sonlight.

Because of my love of books and my love of Sonlight, I thought it would be appropriate to combine the two! For the remainder of the month of July I am offering a free book to anyone who would like to refer a friend to me. So if you know of someone who is not currently using Sonlight and they would like to hear more about homeschooling using a literature approach, just drop me an e-mail with their phone number at kthroop@sonlight.com. I will then give your friend a call letting them know that you recommended that I share with them the benefits of teaching your kids through real books - The way you wish you'd been taught!

After I've spoken with your referral I will send you a list of books for you to choose from. Simple huh? Look forward to hearing from you!!

Pizza Wheels

For our family, summer is just as busy as the school year, but in a different way. Our kids have always been involved in softball and baseball, so I am always looking for meals that can be made quickly and that everyone enjoys. I came up with this idea, after having something like this at a local restaurant. I have tweaked it a little here and there, and feel free to tweak it some more if you want!

Pizzal Wheels

frozen bread (like Rhodes) - I like the whole wheat
pizza sauce
toppings of your choice
cheese

Thaw out the frozen bread either the night before in the fridge or the day of (directions are on the bag). Once the bread is thawed, roll out the dough into the size of a rectangle about 10" x 14". Cover with sauce and put on toppings of your choice and sprinkle with cheese (I like to use a blend of cheeses). I also sprinkle with Italian seasonings on top of the cheese. This next bit is kind of tricky. Roll it up starting with the long end to make a log. While you are rolling you have to kind of tuck in the edges to keep in the toppings. After you have your log rolled out, you cut it into 1 - 1 1/2" pieces. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on them.

They are great because you can have a "kid" friendly one with one loaf of bread and then make another one with all the good stuff!

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Lock in current Sonlight prices when you order by June 30!

I just received this letter from Sonlight, and wanted to pass it along fyi!

I realize you may just be winding down your school year, but it’s already a great time to think about your curriculum for the year ahead. You might have read about our price guarantee through June 30, 2009, in your Sonlight catalog, but I want to remind you that deadline is drawing near.

You have three more weeks to lock in your current Sonlight prices before any potential price changes begin July 1. These changes may be minimal, but I want to give you a heads up so you can save money on some items you intend to purchase.

As you consider your budget, if you'd like to take advantage of our Time Payment options, you can make a single order and pay for your Sonlight purchase over 3, 6 or 9 months. Read more about this service here.

While you're on Sonlight's site, feel free to browse our fascinating Core packages and award-winning books. If you'd like help choosing a curriculum that’s a great fit for your family, feel free to contact a Sonlight Advisor (every Advisor is an experienced homeschool mom and a Sonlight expert!).

If you have any other questions, you can chat with a member of the Customer Relations Team on our website (http://www.sonlight.com/contact.html), email main@sonlight.com or call (303) 730-6292.

Wishing you the best,
Tim Heil
Customer Relations Manager

www.sonlight.com
Empowering parents to raise life-long learners who
fervently pursue whatever God calls them to do.


P.S. Enjoy 25% off our toys and treats for little ones while supplies last! If you haven’t given this page a glance, you’ll be amazed at the low prices on classics like Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, as well as lots of toys that enrich child development.

Schooling through the hard times . . .

As our school year has been winding down I have been reflecting a lot about the last year . . . a lot of big things have happened in our family. Last April 2008 I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Within four weeks of diagnosis I had a total abdominal hysterectomy. I started chemo about 6 weeks later and was on chemo for about five months. Needless to say our lives have changed. Fortunately we were on the tale end of school, and my kids are older, so we made it through the school year without much difficulty. The biggest thing that I have taken from this was that through it all God was with me and my family, and I can see His hand in all that has transpired. I cannot stress how important it was for me to know that God was and is in it all. If I did not believe that He had planned my steps, and truly wants what is best for me and my family, I could easily see that I could be in the pits of despair. I just want to encourage anyone who is going through a difficult time to "cast your cares on Him, for He cares for You!" I Peter 5:7

Just a side note for this Spring . . . we were never able to have a graduation party for my son as I was too ill, so we are having it the end of this month! It looks to be a fine time as we have a big picnic with food and friends! (Just what he wanted). I am also doing well, and am "dancing with no evidence of disease!" God is good all the time!

Transcripts

That dreaded word! I know many people hear that word and start to tremble, I know, because I was one of them. A year ago last December, my then 17 year old son, decided he wanted to graduate in the Spring. He had plenty of credits, he was already taking classes at the local community college for dual enrollment, all he needed was a transcript so he could apply for scholarships. I was in a bit of a panic since I thought I had a year to supply this when in reality I only had about a month! So, to hopefully spare some of you this panic, I thought I would share a few things that helped me get his transcript together.

I had all his grades, so that was not a problem, but getting it all on paper was the challenge for me. I did some poking around, and soon discovered that most Christian colleges have transcript templates for homeschoolers. I soon found one that I liked, and easily downloaded it to my computer. Next came the challenge of assigning credits and naming his coursework.

After digging through posts on the Sonlight Forums, I came up with all the information I needed: how to assign titles for his High School cores, how to assign credits, and which other pertinent information should be included on a transcript. If you are a member of the Forums, I strongly recommend that you visit the Parents of High Schoolers forum for some terrific help. If you are not a member of the Forums I would suggest that you check out a few of these sites that also offer great tips and information: Transcripts A to Z, Create Professional Homeschool Transcripts, Homeschool Legal Defense. There are many resources out there, some are free, and some you can purchase. I have listed a few just to get you started.

Hopefully I have helped you get going, but if you need any other help, please drop me a comment and I'll be happy to share anything else I might know!

Lessons Learned from three Homeschool Guys

My son and two of his best friends did this video for a Christian Filmmakers contest over the weekend. Josh was one of the actors, Nate wrote it, and Ethan filmed and edited it. I thought it was very thoughtful and wanted to share what they did. Please give it a watch.




This video is one that Ethan made as a testimony to God during his struggle with leukemia. He was first diagnosed in February 2008. He has until Feb. 2011 to be done with all of his treatments.

To Test or Not to Test . . . .

My 13 year old daughter just finished taking the Stanford test this week, and that got me thinking about the value of testing. Some folks wonder if there is a benefit in having their kids tested. We personally don't do a lot of testing, but we do have them tested on a semi-regular basis, and here some of the reasons why.

One of the things that I believe testing does, is to help me as the teacher know which subjects I am adequately teaching my children and where they may need help. If they are falling behind in a subject, or need assistance in a subject, the test results can be helpful in finding out where their weakness may lie and thus enabling me to address that weakness.

I think another good reason to test your child would be to help them get used to the idea of taking tests - to take out the fear factor. If they have plans to go to college, trade school, Bible school, or most any further education after high school, they will need to get used to the idea of taking tests. I don't think it is a bad thing to prepare them for that event. Something as simple as filling in an oval, which we may take for granted, is something that a homeschooled child may have never have done before.

Also, we have found that testing before they enter high school has enabled them to be a part of the homeschool honor society Theta Zeta. Not only does being a member of Theta Zeta look good on a resume, but it provides great leadership opportunities and a chance to serve others in the community as well.

Lastly, testing in high school is often required for students to get the good student discount if they will be getting their driver's license at 16. Usually a student needs to be in the top 20% to receive the discounted price. If you have a young driver, (we will soon have two) you will appreciate that discount as it is substantial!

So as you ponder whether or not you should test your child, I hope the above information has helped you make that decision.

The Cost of Home Education

Over the years I have had several folks tell me that Sonlight is too expensive and that they could never afford it, so they trudge on using workbooks or going to the library. It is true that homeschooling isn't free, but I do think it is important to think about where you want to invest your money.

I was fortunate that I found Sonlight at the beginning of our homeschooling experience. Since I graduated one last year, I have every core that Sonlight offers and my expenses for my other children are very minimal since there are so few consumables with Sonlight. Yes, I made the initial investment of the cores, but once they are purchased there is little needed after that.

My husband is a pastor of a small church, so we have never had a lot of "extra income," but Sonlight was one thing I didn't want to cut back on. Some of the things I did to help pay for our Sonlight was to take on extra jobs (did you know election judges in our county make $150 a day?), cash in aluminum cans, sell things online, and cut back wherever possible. Yes, that meant we didn't eat out a lot, or have a lot of new things, but I was able to give my kids the education that I wanted them to have, using a curriculum that I truly believed in. Other folks have used their income tax check, or budgeted for it monthly. Sonlight also offers an option to make your payments over several months for a small fee.

However you pay for your homeschooling materials, the time to start planning for it is now!

SONLIGHT IS GIVING AWAY TWO FREE NEWCOMER PACAKGES

That's right! If you you requested a new catalog at the APACHE convention for the first time you are already entered! If you haven't already requested a catalog, you can easily request one at the Sonlight website. And while you are there check out my landing page.

Sponsor:
Sonlight Curriculum Ltd.
8042 S. Grant Way, Littleton, CO. 81022
main@sonlight.com
303.730.6292

Official Rules:

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER.
Must be 18 or older to enter.
Limit of 1 entry per household.
Contest for US residents only (AK and HI are included)

Only new catalog requesters will be entered in the contest. Customers with any order history or individuals whom our records indicate have requested a catalog in the past are not eligible for the contest and will not be entered upon ordering a catalog during the applicable timeframe.

Two random drawings will take place and a total of 2 winners will be selected.
The first drawing will occur on June 20, 2009 for entries made from April 1, 2009 through May 31, 2009.

The second drawing will occur on September 30, 2009 for entries made from June 1, 2009 through August 31, 2009. You will be contacted within 15 days if you are selected as a winner.
The estimated odds of winning are one in ten-thousand (1:10,000).

Each winner will receive a Sonlight Newcomer Package or equivalent (for upper levels 6 and above) for 1 child with a retail value between $261.90 and $1028.94.

Each winner will also receive all Club Benefits for one year so that they can truly experience being a Sonlighter. The Club Benefits include, but are not limited to, Free Membership on the Sonlighter Club Forums, Free Subscription to the "Beam of Sonlight" Newsletter, 10% Discount on all future orders for a year, and an Ancient Roman "Widow's Mite" Coin Pendant.

Sonlight will not share a participant's personal information, including address and phone number, with any third party.

Employees and outside contractors, along with their immediate families (parents, brothers, sisters and children), of the Sponsor, Sonlight Curriculum Ltd. are not eligible to win.

APACHE is almost here!

The APACHE convention is almost upon us and I wanted to pass along a great article that Sonlight developed which will help you navigate through the convention madness. It is entitled My Homeschool Convention Survivor's Guide. It was written by three veteran homeschool moms, and I know it will make your weekend a more successful venture. There is advice on maximizing your time in workshops and exhibit halls, making smart purchases, as well as how to plow through all the convention literature.

Where I will be this year

April 11-13, 2013
Ballwin, MO
Greater St. Louis Area Home Educators