Happy First Day of School

Starting the 2024-2025 School Year: What July 1st Means in Pennsylvania

Legal Start of the School Year

Today is July 1st, and it happens to fall on a Monday this year. Why do I love that is falls on a Monday? Do you know what that means in the state of Pennsylvania? It means that today is the first legal day of the 2024-2025 school year. So, happy Monday and happy first day of school!

If you’re a homeschooler and you’ve turned in your affidavit and objectives to your local school district, you can start counting school days for the new school year. Every homeschooler in the state of Pennsylvania needs at least 180 days of schooling to cross that finish line.

Our Approach to Summer Schooling

At A One-Room Schoolhouse (AORSH), we like to start counting some of our summer hours now. But don’t fret—I’m not taking my children through the paces of a six-hour school day during the summer, nor do I do that during the regular school year either. During the summer, we like to do “mini school.”

Mini school for us consists of reading something, writing something (this summer focusing on spelling and typing), and doing bit of math. My children also have to practice their musical instruments year-round. All in all, our little bit of book work when we’re not on vacation or at a summer camp takes us about an hour.

Want my “summer school” recommendations? Here they are!

I am in love with Math with Confidence, Facts that Stick program. This math facts program is my new favorite. Also, just as a matter of report, we have finished, four of the ten, “Recommended Family Reads for Older Children” and I just cannot get over how good The Wolves of Willoughby Chase was! This book was drive-around-the-neighborhood-to-finish-the-chapter good. We have also enjoyed Heidi, Daughters of the Mountains, and Esperanza Rising.

Counting Non-Traditional School Days

You don’t have to count just days that you’re doing book work. I know plenty of homeschoolers that don’t do much book work at all during the summer, (or ever!). Many summer activities can count towards your 180 days. As the supervisor of your children’s education, you have the final say on what counts as a school day.

In my house, things that count as school days include trips to museums, educational summer camps (like scouting or karate camp), vacation Bible schools, and vo-tech exploration classes. We also count sightseeing on vacation—whether it’s a state park, national park, historical monument, or other interesting endeavor. On long road trips, we might listen to an entire novel or two on Audible, and that, my friends, is a school day to us.

How to Get Started with Homeschooling in Pennsylvania

Just in case you don’t know how to get started with homeschooling in Pennsylvania, or you have no earthly idea what I’m talking about regarding affidavits and objectives, don’t worry! Click over to this blog post here. Although it was written a few years ago, it is up to date and ready to go. You’ll want to get your affidavit and objectives printed out and turned into your local school district. It really is just three easy steps to homeschool in Pennsylvania: turn in those affidavits and objectives, start counting your days to 180, and at the end of the year, sit down with an evaluator and go over a simple portfolio. That’s it! Click over to the blog post to get more details.

Join Our Community

If you’re still looking for the right fit for your educational endeavors for the 2024-2025 school year, I’ve got good news for you. At our Franklin Park location and Plum location, AORSH still has a few spots available. This is unheard of, but we are expanding this year, adding three new classrooms to our ranks, and so we have a few spots for you to become part of A One-Room Schoolhouse community.

Applications Are Open

We are still taking applications for those spots. So if today marks the start of your new school year and you’re thinking, “I would like a community, peers for my child, and to join a team of experienced homeschoolers where we can work together to homeschool my child,” then A One-Room Schoolhouse might be the best fit for your family. Click here to learn more.

Best Wishes for the New School Year

Overall, I’d like to wish you all a very happy start to the 2024-2025 school year. No matter what your school year looks like—whether you’re schooling with A One-Room Schoolhouse or walking your own path—congratulations, and I hope you get off to a wonderful start!