[MamaAllNatural]

My son will be 6 in a couple months so I'll need to be more official WRT the private school option. I read that I should be printing up letterhead w/my school's title on it, I should have my answering machine be appropriate for the school (I really like the message my son has on it now <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/greensad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="greensad"> ) and that I need to save his schoolwork. So, I am wondering a few things:<br><br>
How strict do I have to be WRT the answering machine, paperwork etc.?<br>
How much of his work do I need to save exactly? We're mostly unschooling. We do a lot of things just from scratch on a blank peice of paper but ocassionally do actual worksheets.<br><br>
Any and all info or advice you could offer would be great. TIA!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">

 

[lilyka]

unless you have heard about a lot of harrassment in you area of homeschoolers using the ps option I wouldn't worry to much about the answering machine. I don't know of anyone who has ever done that even back in the early days of homeschooling.<br><br>
On the other hand letter head and business cards, ID cards etc. . .do come in handy even if you llive in a state with looser restrictions. good for discount cards, redemtion programs and the like. would also look good for official coorispondance with the school board.

 

[CerridwenLorelei]

thing<br>
I was actually gently informed by a good friend who works for the appraisal district that I could get looked at for having a school in my home ( nevermind that in Texas homeschools are private schools) by using the Academy part of our school name, subject to taxes etc<br>
not to mention junk mail from the telemarketers..

 

[MamaAllNatural]

Thanks for the tips ladies. Cerrid, you're saying to not mention my school on the answering machine, right?

 

[Dar]

Most word-processing programs will create a letterhead for you in about 8 seconds if you ever need one. And the only time I ever changed the phone message was when I had my private school applying for a work permit for Rain, we changed it for a week or so and then the permit came so we changed it back.<br><br>
You don't need to keep any work permits, just an attendance log - track any days when he's absent. Mine looks like a blank sheet of paper...<br><br>
Dar

 

[CerridwenLorelei]

....<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">

 

[anythingelse]

what does your state actually require for records?? if you need help finding out, pm me and I will check for you, we have hsed in a couple states now and it varies.<br><br>
we just keep a three ring binder for each child and put drop in sleeves that are clear plastic. anything the state requires us to have we stash all there (depending on your state you may have a copy of your dc physical exam, an attendance record, a copy of your state law to show dufus neighbors), I also keep my hs mom phone tree list from a support group or cataloges with stuff I want to buy, conference info, and as the year goes by we add stuff, lists of books read, photos of art work made, drawings, handwritten stories etc.., postcards or maps from field trips into the drop in sleeves. Each year we fill another for each of the kids. We also have nice spiral notebooks with thick art paper the kids use kind of as journals, nature info, timeline stuff, they cut out news articles and things they are interested in or glue in anything they want to save.<br><br>
I would not buy anything, try the <a href="http://www.donnayoung.org" target="_blank">http://www.donnayoung.org</a> site to print out forms I have never made or needed any letterhead yet for hsing. Our hs name has Academy in it and we have never had a prob. Don't worry about the phone number message machine. We make student id cards using the<br>
3-m kit from walmart to get student discounts, my ds used his today to see shrek 2 LOL<br><br>
mom to ds15, ds10, ds7, and dd 4

 

[Dar]

The state (California) requires attendance records, teacher qualifications, vax records ofwaiver, and courses of study *offered* (not what your kid actually learns, but what you're willing and able to teach him). That's it. And all you would ever have to show anyone would be a copy of your private school affadavit and a letter stating that X student is currently enrolled and attending regularly (on the school letterhead you create on MS Works).<br><br>
Dar

 

[MamaAllNatural]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/thumb.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="thumbs up"> thanks for all the info ladies.<br><br>
Vanna'sMom, thanks for the link and the great suggestions. Very helpful, especially those student ID cards! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/wink1.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="wink1">