New Classroom Photos

Well, here are the updated classroom photos that I talked about a while back. We still have part of a wall to build and some sheet rock work to finish in this room…not to mention it will have to be repainted!

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This is the wall with the tall bookshelves on it. The shelves currently house games, dvds (since the living room unit isn’t finished), hardback childrens books, non-fiction books, reference books, and curriculum for years to come. PLUS, the bottom of one shelf is books I have posted over on PaperBackSwap.com.

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This is the short bookshelves. They hold the paperback chapter books (in alphabetical order I might add). The yellow box on top holds public library books. I mark how many we have out and when they are due back, so I don’t forget. The stack of books on top of the other shelf are our dinosaur books. That is our current yearly topic. In the forefront of the picture is our table. The kids do most everything here. Since the classroom holds their crafting materials and computer…they pretty much live in here.

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Moving on around the room, you see our cubby corner. The white shelf holds their current year books and supplies. The top has markers, crayons, pencils, sharpeners, rulers, and glue…etc. Hanging on the side of the white shelves are their subject cards (Think deal-a-meal cards!..one for each subject). In the corner is just another seat for the computer, which DD is playing on. The desk also holds an electronic typewriter for apparently only publishing newspapers on (that seems to be what the littles like to do). On the wall is our daily whiteboard. I make daily notes on it that stay there ALL DAY! The calendar is located next to that, duh. Additional white boards are on the floor. I either use them on an easel or just sit them up on the shorter shelves.

This is our lovely all-in-one printer. The kids love to scan their drawings and put them on myspace. I don’t usually print from this one, due to high ink costs. I have an older one in my office. The white ‘microwave cart’ holds lined paper and printer paper (which the kids love to draw on). In side it holds the paint brushes and cd computer games. On the wall behind it is our USA map that I made a few years ago. We use that sucker everyday, even when we aren’t schooling. The kids love to point out new things on it.

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This lonely short bookshelf holds lower readers (for DD). On top is our collection of Bibles and related materials. (Yes, I collect Bibles). Coloring books take up the middle shelf and the lower one is full of ‘younger kid crap’. Hanging on the wall above it is the ’sign language’ chart. DS1 is taking that this year, although you would think the littles were. They love to sit and ’sign’ each other.

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Last, but not least, is the ‘folder shelf’. It houses the kids folders for each subject. They put all work for that subject inside, that way when I go to ‘flush’ it, I can just staple it together. Everything is color coded in my house. The kids each have a color for their folders, notebooks, etc. I find it easier to put stuff away.

Also on this shelf are buckets of pencils and pens. I have had more people come over and ask me if I need pencils. They are just kidding of course, but HA HA HA. I have asked people to NOT send me anymore pencils or pens. The markers, crayons, and paints are on the floor underneath. The other stuff you see are random teaching supplies, you know like HUGE coins and bills, dry erase markers, and etc junk.

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Well, that’s that. If you feel the need to look at our last school room pics…those are HERE.

Recent Lapbook Pictures

Thought I’d post some pictures of the kids most recent lapbooking experiences. I don’t have any pics of them working, but only after.

These are both done by DD. DS2 did the Johnny Appleseed lapbook also.

JOHNNY APPLESEED (currently only $1 over at CurrClick)

Plants —FREE from Homeschool Helper Online.com

County Fair — 2008

The fair was here Labor Day week. We didn’t get to go last year due to being busy with life, but the littles and I went this year!!!! YEAH!!!! I love just going to look at the exhibits. We were going to enter, but didn’t make it down there with some stuff.

We got lucky and had two $8 off coupons for their armbands. (made them $10 each…if we didn’t have the bands, one ticket cost $1 each and most rides took 3!)

First ‘ride’ they did….This is actually their second time going in. The first time they never made it upstairs…don’t know why?

This one got used a lot. Thank God for those bands, because this one was a $3 ride. I can’t even imagine.

This ‘ride’ NO ONE would go on. My kids made it about as far as the ones in the pic. I stood there and watched kids go in and come right back out. Those were just the brave ones. Most just ran away as soon as they saw it. WHIMPS!

This ride you would never catch me on, so don’t bother looking!

I couldn’t get the kids to get on this one, but I LOVED it when I was younger. I don’t think my stomach could take it now. I kept telling DS2 that you could climb the walls, but he was afraid he would fall down.

This was their favorite ride. I can’t remember the name of it, but we called it the ‘Himalaya’ sp when I was younger. My friend and I would ride it over and over and listen to Def Leppard (yes, I’m that old). It goes forwards and backwards.

It wasn’t all rides and fun, although DD thought this was fun. All she was worried about was getting that ‘crap’ off of her hands. She shows those prints to everyone who comes by.

The cutest emu in the world!

The kids thought this is what our goats baby would look like. One is black (Pepper) and the other is white (Salt).

So, til next year…memories are made everyday.

FREE - Thomas Edison Lapbook

This is the new Hands of a Child quarterly freebie…so you have some time to go and download it. (JUST CLICK ON THE ‘quarterly freebie’ in the side bar )

From the Hands of Child site:

Thomas Alva Edison is one of the most famous inventors in history. Your student can complete a lapbook on this famous man and inventor with the Thomas Alva Edison Project Pack from In the Hands of a Child. This 54-page pack includes a 12-page Research Guide and 16 hands-on activities about his childhood, family and marriage, inventions, awards and honors, later years, and a complete timeline. Invite your student to learn there was more to Thomas Edison than just the lightbulb!

(on the other hand…they also have a slavery lapbook free at Currclick right now)

URGENT–Protect Our Children ACT # 1738

I just got a message from my cousin about this…I’m so out of the news loop these days since we don’t have tv anymore (and loving every minute of it)….

If you could take a moment out of your day to head over and email or call your senator and let them know that you would like them to vote for you on this act …Protect Our Children ACT # 1738. After googling it, I notice that Oprah has been urging people on this one also (so you KNOW that it has to be important) as if we need Oprah to tell us that our kids are the most precious.

http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20080911_tows_predators

This act is about getting legislation going on some great safety on the internet to catch child porn and molesters on here. The more we catch, the safer we can all feel while our children are playing on the playground or just standing in their own front yard. I know I’m leary of passers by, even though we don’t get many out here in the sticks.

If you want to find out how many registered offenders are in your area, just go here and get a street map of them:

http://www.familywatchdog.us/Search.asp

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Please, take time. Write this down…the Protect Our Children ACT # 1738

go to the website http://www.senate.gov
and find Tennessee (or your state)

This will take you to a page where you can urge them to PASS this Bill and get these perverts out of our neighborhoods.

If you need a sample letter…copy and paste this one…

I am writing to you are a concerned US Citizen to urge you to pass the Protect Our Children Act 1738 for the good of all our children.. It is time to act upon predators who prey on our smallest and most innocent citizens, our children. Please, vote to PASS this bill for the millions of children who are being molested, raped and murdered right this moment.

Thank you.

—–(add your name here)—–

FREE - Slavery Lapbook

This week there is a great freebie going on over at the CurrClick site:

Slavery in North America Lapbook

DOWNLOAD LINK

Let me just add…I love lapbooks and I love the Hands of a Child Lapbooks!

Here’s what it says about it:

Our Research Project Packs present a great way for students to learn the tools needed to find information. While working through the activities in this unit students will learn the answers to these 10 questions:
# When, where and why were slaves first brought to the United States?
# Compare the treatment and sale of slaves to livestock.
# Map the areas slavery was most prevalent.
# Timeline the events and people who effected Slavery.
# Do a biography on Nat Turner.
# Describe the people and events that had the most influence on Slavery.
# What amendment made slavery illegal? Describe the process of getting it passed.
# Summarize the civil war.
# How do you feel slavery of the past has effected the interaction of different races in today’s world?
# Define Slavery Vocabulary.

Through hands on projects they will research and discover the above information and complete their very own project pack on Slavery in the United States.

Free Tote Bag for 1st 1000 2 yr renewals

Subscribe NOW and get a FREE Tote Bag!

Purchase a two year subscription AND AS A BONUS, you will receive our Summer ‘08 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine to give you something to peruse while you wait for your subscription to take effect and avoid paying the additional shipping costs associated with back issues!

PLUS!!! - The first 1000 new U.S. 2 year subscribers will receive our new Homeschooling with Heart tote bag valued at $13.95 with your Current Summer issue,  welcome letter, and 6 gift cards.

FREE - Bear Notebooking Pages & $1 appleseed lapbook

FREE this week from CurrClick.com:

Little Bear Treasury Notebooking Pages  DOWLOAD LINK

Have some fun with Little Bear! Your child WILL have fun creating a notebook from the Little Bear Treasury, a favorite children’s classic. The notebooking pages are all in black and white and have a classic look to them.

PLUS….

They are having a sale on a great Johnny Appleseed Lapbook for grades 1-6!  It’s only $1.00.  You can’t beat that with apple picking time upon us!  Check it out…we are going to start today.  That’s the great thing about being able to download your stuff right away!

FREE - Place Value Game

FREE this week only from the CurrClick store:

DOWNLOAD LINK

Place value with 3 Digit Numbers
help students discover the value of numbers through play. The 5 great games in this set reinforce the relationships between digits and numbers and the way our number system works. This understanding is a basic skill and a necessary foundation for further math mathematics. Students increase their understanding of place value as they play the 5 great games included in this packet. Reproducible backlines included in this package:
•A variety of games
•Complete game boards and game cards
•Activity backline masters
•Assessment
•Activities to send home
•Easy to use teacher’s guides
•Easy game assembly
What other say about Math Games:
Shelli Campos (1st grade teacher Medford, Oregon), “Our school uses your math games for our after-school math club. The kids have so much fun learning that our enrollment has gone way up. The kids absolutely love the games, they are hands-on and developmentally appropriate. Even parents who were too intimidated to come into the classroom show up to help out at math club. These games put the fun back into learning, the way it should be!”

Shelli’s principal told others about Math Games and the more they learned about Math Games the more they knew that they should give it a try. Here’s why you should too . . .

•Research shows that repeated practice solidifies basic facts in students;
•Elementary teachers recommend learning through play for young children;
•Customers agree that Math Games offer games that focus on specific math skills and concepts.

“Your games are easy to use, accurate and correlate well with our Math “CIMS”. I now have a life after school and on weekends because I don’t spend hours making my own bilingual materials.” N. Reynolds 5th grade teacher.

Balanced Instruction
Math Games includes instructions for whole-group, small group, partner, or family games and activities. These games and activities supplement teacher-directed instruction with opportunities for open-ended, hands-on explorations, and on-going practice. As you know, this is the type of instruction that makes exemplary Math programs.

Multiple Methods for Basic Skills Practice
The very nature of the games and activities that are included in Math Games provide numerous methods for basic skills practice and review. These include written and choral fact drills, practice with flash cards, homework, timed tests, graphing facts, all within a wide variety of Math games. The best rated schools are using the research base that tell us to provide the time and materials need to practice and review basic facts. Does your school?

Emphasis on Communication
Academic Math fluency is the foundation of math success in second language learners and native speakers alike. Math Games encourage students to explain and discuss their mathematical thinking, in their own words in a safe and authentic environment. Math Games give students opportunities to verbalize their own thoughts and strategies. Game playing gives children the chance to clarify their thinking, use math vocabulary and gain insights from others in a real life situation. Be part of the growing number of top notch schools that provide all students access to math curriculum.

Enhanced Home/School Partnerships
Now your school can provide opportunities for family members to participate in the mathematical learning of their children. Math Games are perfectly suited to be checked out as take home game sets. Each game package has homework suggestions. The games and activities included in Math Games are the perfect compliment to before or after school programs, school math nights and summer school programs. Get on board with other top schools and include Math Games in your family outreach programs.
If you have questions or inquiries, please feel free to email us at mathgames@funtoteach.com. We look forward to serving you.

Your partner in math education.

Lori Wolfe
MathGamesusa.com
FunToTeach.com
PO Box 3012
Ashland, Oregon 97520

September Teacher Bag - SALE

SALE:

We are excited to announce that the new September Book Bag is now available on CurrClick! This e-book contains fun activities centered around corn, scarecrows, crows, bears, trains and more. It is full of fantastic ideas and printables. If you liked August Book Bag, you will love September Book Bag!

Each monthly publication in this series will normally sell for $4.99, but during the month of September we would like to offer you September Book Bag at a 20% discount. For this month only, you will only pay $3.99 for this incredible e-book. Be sure to click the following to receive your discount: http://www.currclick.com/index.php?discount=32674

But wait, that’s not all! Liz Coombs of Pleasant Ridge Publishing has created an adorable Trains Mini-Lapbook. It offers little train lovers a fun way to reinforce basic preschool and kindergarten skills, and it is a perfect extension of the train activities included in September Book Bag. Trains Mini-Lapbook is available now for only $2.00. You can find this product listed directly below September Book Bag on the Teacher Book Bag publisher page on CurrClick.”

Enjoy! Teacher Book Bag