Homeschool, opportunities, universities, and life

We're looking into a high school for Emma. In the beginning I had mixed feelings, divided roughly thus:

• Half of me thought, "Nooooooo!" I love homeschooling my children. My own degree was for teaching high school math and science, so I feel capable. And most of all, I love having my children around me all day—not in a stop doing math and go clean the toilets sort of way, but in an I love you and like sharing your entire life sort of way. I think of all the things she'll miss, of how she'll be a little out of the family loop, and I think, "This isn't for us at all."
  
• Half of me thought, "Yay, one less student!" As much as I love homeschool, it gets increasingly complicated as I add more students, and as the grade levels climb. It's kind of a relief to think I won't have to worry about adding in a high school curriculum.

But then I looked at it from Emma's perspective, instead of filtering it through all my financial obligations, my desire to have her at home, my anxieties; I pondered the entire opportunity as it affects/benefits Emma. This is her life. This is the beginning of the woman she'll become. This is my unutterably beloved daughter, for whom I want every benefit, every advantage, every possible good thing in life.

And then my feelings were no longer mixed. I want what she wants. I would sacrifice almost anything to give her opportunities that are good, positive, and worthy of her.

There's a private boarding high school six miles down the road in Mt. Pleasant. It's the same school where Blaine briefly worked as assistant director of admissions. The majority of the students are typical rich kid prep school students; a minority are kids who have struggled with drugs or gangs or alcohol and have a court-mandated need for heavy supervision and a strict boarding-type situation. There are several international students (Africa, Asia, Europe), and a few locals. We have several homeschooling friends who have sent their children there as day students, and the education is superior. The classes are small but rigorous, the teachers are highly educated and competent, and the facilities, for such an itty bitty place, really rock.

We're thinking ahead to college. My kiddles are very likely going to need a good university education to land the careers they want; and let's face it, my children's parents aren't wealthy enough to pay for it all. The kids are going to need scholarships, they're going to need to know how to study and how to succeed without $$$ from us. I could handle the high school academics, but this will give them opportunities to play on teams, to be involved in student government, to learn art and dance and...all the things I can't do at home, and that look great on scholarship applications.

Also compelling is: when else will she get a chance to experience the diversity of high school? College is a place to specialize. You have to choose a path and follow it and learn and get out. High school is the time to experiment with subjects and try out for a play and do all of those things that don't make the university cut. I get excited just thinking about how high Emma can soar.

So we toured the campus. (How much would I have loved this campus? Even just as a day student, how much would I have loved to have a college-like experience at 15?) We filled out reams of applications. And last week Emma was accepted. But there was still one more hurdle to clear, which we just did today: financial aid came through, substantially reducing the portion we'll pay of the [SKY HIGH] tuition.

It's pretty exciting, even if it is a totally new frontier for this homeschooling mom. I'm going to have a hard time letting her go, but I'm so excited to see where she flies.

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