Establishing a school identity can give your children a sense of security and help them to feel "normal". Your school identity can be as elaborate or simple as you like. The more you put into your school identity, the more unity and pride your kids will feel. At the very least, coming up with a school name will provide your children an easy answer when faced with the inevitable school question.
If you're part of a support group or ISP, you'll most likely have your identity established. Some of these ideas might be helpful for your group. If they don't provide ID cards, you can make up your own, or suggest to the group to make some up and offer to give a helping hand. Larger groups can have yearbooks made and smaller groups can make up their own.
Here are some ideas to help get you thinking. Be creative, put some thought into it and let the kids help.
- School name - This can be as simple as your family name or tied into a family interest or hobby. Your name can have deep meaning or a lighter, simple name.
- School mascot and colors - School mascots are fun to have, but certainly not required. You might just want to design a logo to go on your ID cards and stationary. Choose school colors to coordinate with your name and mascot.
- Student ID card - these are good to have to get discounts at the movie theaters. Design them on the computer, print on colored or good quality paper, stick picture on and have laminated. Jacci Howard Bear, About.com guide to Desktop Publishing, has step-by-step instructions on how to make a student ID Card for homeschool students.
- Notebook - Purchase a binder with the clear covering so that you can slide in a cover sheet. Print an enlarged logo or design to insert in the binder. Let your kids personalize their notebooks. My daughter took a notebook and put garden pictures on front and modge-podged it for me.
- Memory Books - Capture your school year by keeping a memory book for each child: My kindergarten Portfolio, My Memory Book for Grades 1-6, Jr. High/High School Memory Book.
- Stationery - Make a school letterhead to have available whenever you need to correspond in a more official manner. Design on your computer and print on good quality paper. You can also make matching envelopes.
- T-shirts - With all the software available, you can easily design and make your own school t-shirts with your school name, mascot or logo and personalized with the student's name. If your mascot is something readily available, you can simply buy T-shirts with the design already supplied and just add your school name with puff paints or other fabric paint. You can purchase homeschooling t-shirts and sweatshirts from Homeschooling Apparel or Great Products-Online.
- Yearbooks - Larger groups can have the yearbooks professionally made (Buy direct), smaller groups can make yearbooks themselves. For individual families, you can make a homemade yearbook in the form of a photo album or scrapbook, or use the Klutz My Fabulous Life in Pictures Book.
- Class Rings - If you want to have a class ring made for your high school student, check into these companies: Jostens (Buy direct), Herff-Jones, Rings, Inc. and The Ring Company.
