As of the end of last year, we decided to pull Mcartney out of the International School she had been attending since we moved here. It was a VERY difficult decision, but one we stand by and aren't sorry we made. Since then, we have also moved and if we HAD kept her there, her bus ride would be an extra 20-30 minutes each way... which would have made her bus ride over an hour to and from school. Not quite fair for a 7 year old.

There is a serious lack of International Schools in Chennai. Well, let me rephrase that - there is a serious lack of International Schools in the CENTRAL and NORTH sides of Chennai. I happen to know a LOT of people who live in the central and north sides of the city that are desperate for a good International School to send their children to, and because of the lack, they are home schooling their kids. Like me, home schooling isn't their first option, it's their only option. As far as the local families that I know of that would like to give their kids a great education, they are having to send their kids to local schools... where the classrooms can easily exceed 50 students per class. This is just not the environment that I know my child will actually learn in... so we choose not to send her to a local school.

We did a lot of research on which home schooling program to use and let me just say... they are all awesome. I didn't find one that I didn't like... which made the search/research that much more frustrating. When it was all said and done, we went with a program that friends of ours have been using for several years. So far, so good. We've done Mcartney's online testing and she seems to be right on par from where she left off - which was mid grade three. She is also a little more ahead in some of her subjects! We've been connected with amazing people at this school, and they are helping us every step of the way... which is great, because I am so green at this, that I need all the help I can get.

This week her books will be ordered and then we'll really be getting down to business. I know Mcartney will be very happy to be learning again.. and I'll be happy that she has purpose in her days again!!

Will keep you posted as the adventure continues...