Levi Smith is a Senior and this is his first year in high school. He recently transferred from his home school to Hays High where he now participates in Chamber Singers, Musical, marching band, and jazz band.

What was it like being homeschooled?

“Easy, but I had nobody to talk to.”

What was your favorite part?

“Probably the five or less hours of work.”

What caused you to come to a public school?

“I’m not sure, I think it was because I stopped wanting to do it because I didn’t talk to anybody.”

What’s the biggest change for you from homeschool to public school?

“The amount of people I had to talk to and the amount of work I was assigned.”

How is the curriculum different between homeschool and public school?

“Homeschool is more at your own pace. Public school is more just follow along and if you have troubles just get to a teacher and they’ll talk to you.”

What’s your favorite part about public school/high school so far?

“Just messing around with friends. When I was homeschooled I just played video games and talked about my day to my siblings when they came home.”

Least favorite?

“Waking up way too early. I used to wake up at noon and start my work at one and end at like three or four.”

How is it that you will graduate at the age of 16?

“I started homeschooling at the beginning of third grade but I started with the fourth and fifth grade curriculum so when I came back I was a year ahead.”

Do you enjoy public school or homeschooling more? Why?

“Public school. Honestly, it’s because there’s just more things to do and more variation in public school. In homeschool there’s just a set routine, nobody yelling, no friends talking, it’s not as interesting.”

Before, when you were homeschooled, did you sing or take private lessons for music?

“There was a separate music section that was mainly basic melodies like steps and then I played the tambourine with it and it was awful.”

Do you plan to continue music in college?

“Yes I do, I think, probably, I have no clue what I’m doing, I might take up interpretive dance in college.”

Aside from vocal music, what are some of your other interests?

“Dungeons and Dragons, Role Playing. I’m Dungeon Master quite a bit, but I am a player in my current group. I’m also in marching band and jazz band.”

Why did you transfer from public to homeschooling in third grade?

“I was an exceptional student. I understood things very quickly. I was in the gifted program. I would often sit around in class with nothing to do because I would finish my work quicker than the other students.”

18drooney@usd489.com