Wrapping Up Your Homeschool Year: A Simple, Stress-Free Guide

As we are wrapping up our homeschool year, there are so many moments that I like to go back and reflect on, like; the first time my son traced an entire word on his own or when I finally mastered a routine that works for us. Be sure not to rush ahead to summer fun or the next year ahead before first reflecting upon your current school year, what worked and what didn't, what you enjoyed and what you could go without, etc. There is so much to consider when diving into the next school year, so I created a stress-free breakdown of how to smooth out that transition.

Reflect Upon Your Year

First take a moment to give yourself and your littles some recognition for all of your hard work, accomplishments, and dedication to this past year. Your perseverance and motivation to move forward and learn together is something to celebrate. Take a moment to have family discussion. Listen to everyone's experience on the past year and take some notes on things that worked very well and those that maybe didn't work so well. Apply those notes to the upcoming school year to ensure things are as smooth and efficient as possible.

Organize and Store Work

What needs to be kept/filed/submitted varies based on your location, however now is a great time to sift through all of those loose papers/projects/art pieces/etc. We tend to keep the things that we would like to look back on, cherish, or learn from. Everything else gets tossed or stored away in totes in the basement. If you are running low on physical storage space, there are tons of digital storage options to consider! Google Drive has free digital storage that is great for keeping those important documents safe within your digital storage drive.

Another fun thing to do is to create a Year-End-Portfolio. Add their artwork masterpieces, outstanding assignments, or lovely written papers to this portfolio to look back on in the years to come. These can be created in a simple 3-ring binder for easy storage and access.

Complete Any Required Assignments or Records

Again, based on your location, you may be required to send in scores/records/tests/etc. Ensure that you have your ducks in a row to get all of that taken care of before the end of your school year. Give yourself plenty of time to get these things done so you can thoroughly enjoy your summer break or dive right into the next school year!

Plan a Meaningful Year-End Celebration/Trip/Activity

After everything is completed, plan something to celebrate you, your littles, and all of the hard work put into this school year. Your celebration does not have to be elaborate or expensive, just something to recognize your hard work and celebrate your wins. We like to take a family trip somewhere. We tend to take a family trip to Frankenmuth in Michigan as a small, budget-friendly, getaway for the day.

Another great way to celebrate the year is to create a photo slideshow or memory box! Have everyone pool together their pictures from the year, favorite moments, memories, projects, field trips, and whatever else they want to remember and share with the family.

Look Ahead (Just a Little!)

Now is a great time to get an idea of how your next school year is going to run, what materials you are going to use, the themes/topics you wish to incorporate this year, etc. A great way to gather some ideas, in a low-pressure way, is to create a Pinterest board! Fill that board with field trip ideas, novel studies, unit studies, activities, experiments, lesson ideas, encouragement, and wish listed materials. Be sure to include, or take into consideration, your child's ever-changing interests, hobbies, and skills.

Conclusion

When wrapping up your homeschool year, ensure that you recognize your dedication to your children and your family. You made this year happen and you continue to put your children's best interests first by continuing to show up and provide them an education that they deserve. As a gentle reminder, progress is more important than perfection. Ensure that everyone continues to move forward and allow the other things to fall into place without force. Take a deep breath and enjoy the summer, or any break that your family decides to take. You deserve it.

Bonus

As a little bonus, I have included a Year-End Homeschool Wrap-Up To-Do List to ensure that all of your homeschool tasks are accounted for and completed before the next year.

Year-End Homeschool Wrap-Up To-Do List.pdf

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