High School Dual Enrollment

In many (most?) states, home schools are permitted to count for credit high school subjects taken in 7^th and 8^th grade, as long as they were taught at the high school level. I was able to take advantage of this with my first two students. With my current student I have not done this – I may go back and reevaluate this, but I don’t think he’s going to get any high school credits from his middle school course work. The college planning charts could be done differently if the student has early credits. Here is the chart for my student’s high school plan:

Subject	Req. #	9th	10th	11th	12th
English	4	English	English	English	English
Math	3	Algebra I	Algebra II	Geometry	Pre-Calculus
Science	3	Biology w/Lab	Chemistry w/Lab	Physics	Aeronautics
Social Studies	3	Medeival Hist.	US Hist./Govt. I	US Hist./Govt. II	Anc. World Hist.
Foreign Language	2		Spanish I	Spanish 2	(Spanish 3?)
Health	1/2			Health
PE	1/2		Physical Ed.
Fine Arts	1		Music Apprec.
Technology	1	Videography
Electives	3	(additional Math, Science, Social Studies, Language)
Total	21	5	5.5	6.0	5.5

As with all plans, plans change. In 9^th Grade we were originally doing Spanish I, but we dropped it.  Higher grade courses might move around. The student’s high school plan was designed around entrance requirements to major in Engineering in college.

Our challenge this year has been outside interests vying for the student’s attention (and winning), not enough time being applied to academics, not enough material being covered in the time the teacher had planned, etc. Student knows he does not respect mom’s deadlines the way he would someone else’s.

As an option, in the Spring semester of 10^th grade we investigated dual enrollment at our local community college. The student tested college level in English and Reading, high school level in maths. High school students are not permitted to take high school courses in dual level (even though they offer them, think “remedial”). We signed the student up for English 101. Three weeks in, so far the class is going well, although the student is feeling stressed. We decided to drop Spanish I for now, after I did the following analysis.

The whole concept of using dual enrollment now has given me reason to evaluate how the high school plan might be implemented differently, in a way that my particular student can better handle. The college allows dual enrolled students to take up to 7 credits per semester. The courses complete the high school requirements, but also count towards college.  Determining which college courses to take in high school is greatly affected by which college major the student is pursuing. Looking at the course requirements my student would face to pursue engineering, I was compelled to advise him to consider a different major. He just isn’t working at a level in math that makes it likely that he would succeed in some of those required courses.

That said, with careful evaluation and further discussion, the decision was made to craft the plans around a college major of Computer Science/Information Systems. Mom and Dad think the student might major in Cyber Security when the student transfers to a four-year college.

Here is our current revised plan.

Subject	Tot. #	9th	10th		11th	12th
Bible	4	Bible Poetry	Bible History		20th Century Religions	World Religions
English	4	English 9	English 10	ENGL101	English	English
Math	3	Algebra I	Algebra II		Geometry	Consumer Math
Science	3	Biology w/Lab	Chemistry		Astronomy	Aeronautics
Social Stud.	3	Medeival Hist.	US Hist. /Govt. I		US Hist./Govt. II	Anc. World Hist.
Foreign Language	2				Spanish I	Spanish 2
Health	1/2		Health
PE	1/2			Physical Ed.
Fine Arts	1		Art	Music Apprec.
Tech.	1	Videography
Electives	3		(additional Math, Science, Social Studies, Language)
Total	21	5		8.0	6.0	6.0

The suggested/required courses for Computer Science Information Systems is:

Subject	Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
English	ENGL 101 (3)	ENGL 102 (3)
		SPCF[DM1]  (3)
Math	MATF[DM2]  (3)
Computer Concepts	CMSC 110[DM3]  (3)	CMSC 140 (3)	CMSC 243 (3)
Science		NSLD[DM4]  (4)	HUMD (3)	NSND (3)
Social Studies	BSSD[DM5]  (3)		BSSD (3)
Electives		Elective (3)	Elective (3)	Elective (4)
Electives			Elective (3)	Elective (3)
Health				HLTF (1)
Fine Arts	ARTD (3[DM6] )			ARTD (3)
Electives	(additional Math, Science, Social Studies, Language)
Total (60)	15	16	15	14

Using careful planning, I can interweave his high school graduation requirements with dual enrollment classes and help my son enter college as a sophomore instead of as a freshman. Here is what it can look like:

Subject	Tot. #	9th	10th		11th		12th
Semesters			1	2	1	2	1	2
Bible	4	Bible Poetry	Bible History		20th Century Religions		World Religions
English	4.5	English 9	Eng. 10	ENGL 101	ENGL 102		ENGL 201
Math	4	Algebra I	Algebra II		Geometry			MATH 115
Science	4	Biology w/Lab	Chemistry w/Lab			ASTR 101	Aeronautics
Social Studies	4	Medeival Hist.	US Hist./Govt. I		HIST 114			POLI 101
Foreign Language	2	Conversational Spanish	Spanish I (1/2)			SPAN 101	SPAN 102
Health	.5		Health
PE	.5		Physical Ed.
Fine Arts	1		Music Apprec./Art
Technology	1	Videography
Total	27	7	8.0		6.0		6

ENGL 101: Introduction to College Writing

ENGL 102: Critical Reading, Writing and Research

ENGL 201: Introduction to World Literature

MATH 115: Mathematical Ideas

ASTR 101: Introductory Astronomy with Lab

HIST 104: The World in the 20^th Century

POLI 101: American Government

SPAN 101 and SPAN 102: Spanish 1 and 2, college electives

HLTH 100: Principles of Healthier Living

Using this plan, when he graduates high school he will have 26 credits. If he takes one additional course during a summer session, he will have one full year of college finished when he graduates high school. Let’s say he takes GEOG 240 (Applied Geography, 4 credits) during the summer – then he will have only two semesters left to complete his Associates Degree before transferring to the University. So his college courses overlap his high school courses this way

10th		11th		12th		Sophomore Year
1	2	1	2	1	2	1	2.
	ENGL 101 (3)	ENGL 102 (3)		ENGL 201 (3)		COMM 121 (3)	ENGL 264 (3)
					MATH 115 (3)	PSCI 101 (4)	COMM 220 (3)
			ASTR 101 (4)		CMSC 110 (3)	CMSC 140 (3)	CMSC 243 (3)
		HIST 114 (3)		[GEOG 240 summer] (3)		POLI 101 (3)	SOCY 100 (3)
			SPAN 101 (3)	SPAN 102 (3)			HLTH 100 (1)
						ARTT 112 (3)	MUSC 110 (3)
3		13		15		16	16

This specific classes may change some, but this is a framework for us to start with. So if my student sticks with this plan, he will be done with his first year of college when he graduates from high school. I don’t know if he will stay with this plan, but it has been a good exercise plotting it out just in case. If he completes this plan, he will earn an Associate of Science Degree and then transfer to a four year university.

---

 [DM1]Speech Foundation

 [DM2]Math Foundations

 [DM3]Computer Concepts

 [DM4]Natural Science with Lab

 [DM5]Behavioral and Social Sciences

 [DM6]Arts Distribution

Alfred and Bessie Morris

The 1861 English Census shows that in Warwickshire, the Parish of Aston, in Erdington's District 28, at 124 Upper Saltley, Timothy Morris (age 41, born 1819) and Ann Slater Morris (age 37, born 1823) Morris were raising their family: William A. (age 12), Timothy (age 9), Henry (age 6), and Charles (age 4).

The dad, Timothy's occupation is recorded as Philosophical Instrumentmaker. Seriously? What in the world? Timothy Senior was my grandmother (Dora Morris Hall)'s great grandfather. I think that makes it great, great, great grandfather for me. 

[I found Stratford on Avon in Warwickshire! That's where Shakespeare was born!]

The 2nd son, Timothy Morris, was my great grandfather's father, or grandma Dora's grandfather, and he was an "electrical operator" (an electrician). This Timothy (born 1852) married Annie Elizabeth Lane (born 1854). The 1881 England Census shows that Timothy And Annie settled in Worcestershire, in the Civil Parish or Township of Kings Norton District 24. Their address was 7 Belgrase Street. Alfred (grandma Dora's father), age 2, was their first born. Their 2nd, Walter P., was 8 months. Worcestershire is one shire west of Warwickshire where they both were born.

Meanwhile, another couple, John and Maria Mitchell, were raising a family in Cornwall (far to the South). One of their children would eventually be Alfred's wife.

This is where the family tree goes way back. Not only do we know that John Mitchell was born in Cornwall and lived from 1844-1902, we also know his father, John Mitchell lived 1797-1886 and his mother, Matilda Stephens Mitchell lived from 1806-1905. The 1851 Census says the senior John Mitchell was a "Cordwainer". I was sure I was stumped, but I Googled it and learned:

"A cordwainer (/ˈkɔːrdˌweɪnər/) is a shoemaker who makes new shoes from new leather. The cordwainer's trade can be contrasted with the cobbler's trade, according to a tradition in Britain that restricted cobblers to repairing shoes." (Wikipedia)
 

John Junior (1844-1902), a carpenter, and Maria (1846-1923) had Jessie Keturah L Mitchell (1868-1950), Ada Elvina Mitchell (1871-1888), Amelia A. Mitchell (1874-1951), Charles Thomas Mitchell (1878 - ?), Percy J. Mitchell (1880-1927), Bessie Helena Augusta Mitchell, my great grandmother (1881-?), Lilly G. (1885- ? ), Beatrice M. (1887), Ada (1891 - ) and Millie ( ? - ? ). They lived at 41 Old Town, Croydon, in Surry, England in 1871.

Ancestry.com told me about

The Great Blizzard of 1891

During the Great Blizzard of 1891, Bessie Helena Augusta Mitchell experienced incredible amounts of snow, which crippled travel for almost a week. Bessie was ten when this blizzard occurred.

Bessie Mitchell 

was a servant in 1901 when the census was taken in England. She was living at 39 Gas Works, Devon, Plymouth (as in where the Pilgrims left from!). 

Bessie Helena Augusta Mitchell married Alfred Morris on June 8, 1903, in Hereford, Herefordshire, when she was 21 years old. Alfred Morris enlisted in the military in 1897 when he was 19 years old and learned the trade of an electrician.

Alfred and Bessie's first daughter Vera May was born on May 29, 1904, in Plymouth, Devon. Their second daughter, my grandmother Dora Elaine was born on January 1, 1906 in Templemore, County Tipperaray, Ireland. I have Gram's birth certificats. It's in bad shape. "I have this 1st day of January 1906 registered the Birth of Dora Elaine, a female child..."

They were in Ireland because Alfred was stationed at the British Military Base there. Gram always told me it was a Royal Air Force base, but the RAF didn't begin until 1917. Gram was born in 1906 - Wilbur and Orville Wright had their first successful flight in 1903! Not enough time to establish an RAF base. Can't figure out what base she was born on at this point - was probably a Royal Army Base

Two years later Alfred and Bessie were back in UK, in Upton on Severn in Worcestershire, when their next daughter, Phyllis was born November 10, 1907. Their first son, Alfred, Jr., was born in Worcestershire in 1909. They moved from Upton on Severn to Kempsey 4/2/1911 (still Worcestershire). Son, Percy James, was born May 16th, 1911 at their new location. At this time Alfred had been in the Army 13 years, and Bessie's sister Beatrice was living with them as a servant.

Alfred was still serving in the military in 1912 at the age of 37. This was apparently when he retired and transitioned to the Army Reserve. He committed to serve for six years. Think about your world history now -- any global events you can think of that occurred between 1912 and 1918? Any Great Wars?



The UK often offered land grants in Canada to its veterans. In 1914 Alfred and Bessie relocated from the UK to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Sound familiar? This is the same city my other great grandparents relocated to from the UK.

Who knew that Ontario touches four of the five great lakes? I didn't! Can you see Hamilton? It is right across the US/Canada border at Niagara Falls! I had no idea it was so close!

He served in World War I, which ran from 1914 to 1918. He received a letter of commendation (posthumously) and a medal, which I have in my metal box of family historical artifacts. No children were born to the family during this time (what a shock, right?).

Ancestry.com loses Albert and Bessie after that. Ancestry says they had five children; Grandma Dora said there were 11 or 12 (she couldn't remember). She gave me names, but not always dates. Clearly I will have to find my notes and enter more information into Ancestry and see if it can then provide more information.

There are not many photos of the Morris family. Gram said they left the farm on holiday one summer. It was so remote that at that time it was customary to leave your property unlocked when you left so that if any traveler arrived in need of shelter he could find a roof for the night. When they returned from holiday they found the house burned down, photos lost. They never knew whether someone had been sheltering and was careless with fire, or if the house had been struck by lightning.

Photos that survive were probably in the hands of relatives at the time of the fire. I will post ones I have in a future post. If you enjoyed, I'd love to receive a comment!   

The Dragon and the Raven - A Schoolhouse Crew Review

The Schoolhouse Review Crew was recently given the opportunity to review a new audio production for Heirloom Audio Productions.

The product is their newest audio drama, The Dragon and the Raven, a dramatization of the book by G.A. Henty by the same name.

I asked begged for this review because my whole family has enjoyed every one of the audio dramas Heirloom has produced thus far. You can read my reviews: Under Drake's Flag; In Freedom's Cause; and With Lee in Virginia. My adult daughter in Virginia even waits anxiously for us to finish with these products and pass them along to her for her to enjoy on her long drives to and from work!

The package we received from Heirloom contained a 2-CD package with a beautiful activity booklet inside. There was also a letter enclosed, from The Dragon and the Raven's Associate Producer, Aaron Fullan, divulging to us our secret information to log in to get our product bonuses (to be described below).

 The Dragon and the Raven audio drama is suitable for ages 6 to adult.

The package from Heirloom arrived at a perfect time for us. For over two years, my son and I have been