Monday, August 25, 2008

Getting Ready for School

School room
Good morning! The girls and I have been cleaning and organizing our school room and I thought I would give you a tour. It isn't a big room and as you will see, we have squeezed something into every corner.

Piano
Over to the right is our piano. This is the same piano I grew up with and I still enjoy playing it. I just learned the theme song to one of my favorite movies, The Notebook.

Storage
In another corner is the file cabinet (it's very scary in there!) and our supply cupboard.

Cupboard
The drawers never stay organized, but they hold ribbon and misc. craft supplies.

Table
This is Grace's art table and she says she is going to do her school work here, too.

Desk
This used to be Grace's desk, but she gave it to Emily a few months ago.

Book Shelves
Bookshelves in another corner. I haven't figured out where to put our new school books yet. Hmm...

Supplies
And finally, my paper craft/card making stand. I love that I can reach everything while sitting at the table.

Supplies
I use various containers for storage. Most of them are actually napkin boxes! Can you guess what my ribbon organizer was originally used for?

Ribbon
Cassette tapes! I found it at the resale store awhile back for $1.00.

Papers
I keep all of my scrapbook paper, cardstock and stickers in large hanging folders.

Papers
Folders for each color.

Supplies
We have also had fun getting our new school supplies together. I love all the pencils, crayons, post-its, etc. Our school books have been ordered and will arrive any day and our official starting date is September 2. For those of you that are interested, we use the Sonlight curriculum and Horizons Math.

School
All of the local schools around here are starting today, as well as many of my blogging friends. So, whether you are a homeschool, private, or public school family, I wish you a wonderful year with lots of fun and learning!

52 comments:

Anonymous said...

Morning Kelli - I love your piano - I play duets with my friend as a hobby now it's great to have hobbies to go back to when the kids are a little older.

Is that a composers time line on your wall, I've never saw anything like that before.

Our kids start back at school on 1 September so we are on our last week of the holidays!!

Blessings from Northern Ireland.

Terri said...

A whole room just for school; I'm jealous!! LOL! I love it and I hope you have a wonderful school year.

Kerri said...

Wow, you are very organized! I keep trying to get that organized, but I don't always acomplish it. We started last week and everything is going well. Schools here don't start till Sept 2nd. I hope you have a wonderful year schooling. I love sonlight's curriculum!
Love Kerri

Anonymous said...

youre tempting me.
thankfully I have a while to decide...


Miz.

Missy Wertz said...

Good luck with school! We started school almost 3 weeks ago. (early! too early, the pool is still open and it is way too hot!!!!) But ME loves school and thrives in the environment.

Have a wonderful first day!

Unknown said...

Your class room looks so organised.

Best wishes for your school year.

Unknown said...

Your class room looks so organised.

Best wishes for your school year.

Momma Roar said...

I love the start of a new year with a well-organized school room, that lasts (in our house anyway) roughly a week! :)

The local schools start today here too. We have actually started and have 5 weeks in already. Our goal is to continue with 2 more weeks and then take some time off for some sewing projects and fieldtrips. The kids have picked their trick or treat costumes and I want to get started on them while I have time (rather than the week before like I typically do!)

Wishing you a wonderful year ahead!!!

Jen said...

I loved my tour. I wondered what your school room looks like. Madison started back 3 weeks ago...

Jessica said...

Kelli, thanks for showing us around your craft/school room. I have to be honest, I didn't realize you had such a well-stocked 'stash' of paper craft supplies on hand. No wonder you can make such a variety of beautiful cards!

Sharon said...

I can remember the excitement my daughter and I had before starting another new year of home education. I sure do miss it!

Anonymous said...

What a neat place to learn. I did not homeschool but seeing the joy and love you put into teaching your children I wish I had.

Lindsay-ann said...

I really enjoyed viewing your school room. It looks a fantastic learning environment and so well organised. My daughter would love to be home schooled. I love how you have all your craft supplies neatly to hand there. Best Wishes when you start back on the 2nd. Our schools are back the same week over here.

LadySnow said...

I wish I had a room that was just for school. We share it with the kitchen and dining room. The rooms looks great.

Anonymous said...

Hey Kelli,

Been a while since I last visited but was thinking of ya, and then I saw on the magazine website that you guys will be ceasing at the moment the quarterly. I understand, and I do hope that in the near future you will be able to pick it back up again as it is a wonderful magazine. Anyhoot, I wanted to say Love what you got going on in your classroom, I hope to be doing the same with a home we are buying( we close in 10 days) that has a "extra living room" to which I will convert into a school room. I am so excited. Anyhoot you have a wonderful day and will play catch up on your posts in the days to come.

Stitcher S said...

Loved seeing your school room!

I too so love those Mary Englebreit ecology posters that I see hanging on the wall in your photo. I almost bought them, but wall space is at a premium where I teach. However, I did buy one of her "Welcome" posters for my classroom this year.

We don't start out here until the third, but for the past few weeks it's been training and setting up our rooms.

Blessings to all of you.

Arlene G said...

Can I come to your school Kelli???

Anonymous said...

Good Morning, Kelli, Thanks for the tour of your classroom. It looks like a fun place to learn and enjoy. Schools here in the Pacifice Northwest start the same day you and your kids start.

I wish you a fun, fun last week of summer vacation.

Debbi :-)

Anonymous said...

Have a wonderful start of the school year !!!
My kids will go to school tomorrow ( our son, he will go by bus for an hour and a half) and the day after tomorrow ( our daughter, in the place where we live !!)
Have a great day !!

Susie said...

Hi Kelli,
Your classroom and craft area is so well supplied and nicely organized. I can see why you're able to put together such beautiful notecards with all your things close at hand!
Have a wonderful school year!
xo

Kelly said...

Ahhhh you have answered all my questions!! I was going to ask what study course you use.....I am going to look into that one...I think that was the only one I didn't look into!! I was just about to order ours and now I want to go look there.....
I have been trying to organize downstairs to use for our new school room here......it is almost done! I was looking for a little desk and I found one at the antique store but it doesn't have a price on it...maybe that is a sign it is too much!!! haha! We will be starting the 2nd also ..so happy schooling to us!!! I am excited.... this is only my second year of home schooling......

love,
kelly

Lois Christensen said...

Looks like a nice place to learn. My children started today as well, only in public school. We tried homeschooling, but I work from home as well and couldn't do both. So we finally moved to a better area where the schools are much nicer and friendlier. Enjoy your day...I'm sure you'll make it special for your kids.

Simply Heart And Home said...

Kelli,

You are so organized. I loved my homeschooling years. This will be my first year of not homeschooling in 23 years. That is a bit scary to me!

The piano we own is one my husband grew up playing. It needs to be tuned a bit but still sounds lovely. He took lessons for over ten years and taught piano for a number of years in college and afterwards. He taught all four children to play.

I'm just now catching up on posts. Daisy certainly has grown. She looks so sweet and must have a wonderful disposition. I posted the before and after pictures of Tildy. She looks so different. She looks high maintenance. LOL

Have a lovely friend, dear Kelli.

Gina

Simply Heart And Home said...

LOL - I just checked my post and I meant to say Have a lovely day and put friend instead! :) That too!

Gina

Anonymous said...

It looks great I wish you all a good year!
Diane

Katy said...

I love it Kelli!!! What a great place!!!! It looks fantastic!!! Thank you so much for the tour! We are starting on the 2nd as well!!! Best of luck to you!!! :)xoxo

The Berry's Patch said...

What a wonderful school room Kelli! It looks very organized. Good luck to you.

Lacie said...

I love the room! My boys have not started school yet, but I have a craft room of sorts...YOu have made your room very functional.

Good luck with school-

Michelle said...

Thanks for letting us peek into your school room. It looks great!

Christy Lee said...

Kelli, I get so much inspiration from you! I love reading your blog. Now that the computer is working again, I can participate in Show and Tell Friday again, I have so many wedding things to show!!!

Sharon said...

What a fun room!! I'm sure that you and the children will make many wonderful memories here!! Enjoy!!

tamlovesran said...

Your room is so organized. Can you visit our house and help me? My 3 year old son leaves a path where ever he goes and I have the hardest time keeping things organized!

Have a great school year!

Tina said...

Very nice. You are more organized than I am.
T

Sandra said...

Kelli you make me want to homeschool, you really really do. :)

I think your room look wonderful :)

Quinne said...

Hi Kelli :) We are getting ready for school here, too. This is our project week... some things that I like to do before we can start the new year next week- lol.

Hope that you have a wonderful year, too! Love, Q

Nikki @ Saving For A Rainy Day said...

Such a great room!!! Kudos to you for homeschooling. I simply do not have the patience for it although it has crossed my mind.

We are blessed to live in an area with a great public school with a lot of parent involvement though :)

I wanted to let you know I made your teacup cards! I posted them today:
http://nikki-savingforarainyday.blogspot.com/2008/08/teacup-card.html

Thanks for sharing them!!

Heather Anne said...

Everything is so neat and tidy - a perfect place for learning and having fun! I envy your dedicated home school room - we often have to clean off the kitchen table so that we have room to eat, but at least we are all cozy and together! I keep thinking about ways to organize it better - that will help I'm sure! We are starting next week - after our big first field trip of the year - so we are going to tidy the home school supplies this week.

Pattie said...

Mmm... I can almost smell the chalk and markers from here. I love back-to-school time. It makes me feel like a kid again!

Thanks for sharing your wonderful room with us, Kelli!

Wanita said...

Hi Kelli, Your classroom looks organized and ready for the new school year. I like how your card-making supplies are organized. It gave me a few ideas for organizing my card-making/scrapbooking supplies.

Anonymous said...

We enjoyed Sonlight last year. Good luck....you'll have a terrific year, I'm sure. Love your school room. Maybe one day we'll have one too;) Your incredible organization is inspiring me to go ahead and clean out last year's curricula cabinet and bookcase, something I dread doing b/c I'm such a packrat with books!

Chas said...

Hi there...
I found you wandering down a rabbit trail. :)
Great room... I like the organization. Well done!
I hope you have a wonderful school year as well!
~Chas

http://www.homesteadblogger.com/chas

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing your space, Kelli! You are so blessed to have a separate space for teaching/crafting, etc.

Wishing you a wonderful school year!

Anonymous said...

Great Photos... We are still waiting to start school...one more week!

GranthamLynn said...

What a lovely school room. I wish I could go to school. It is so organized and neat.
I love the ribbon holder. I was wondering what it was.
I love taking old things and repurposing them.
Have a great week.
Smiles,
Sherry

Trixi said...

Yea, school. We started last Monday and it has been good so far. I love that school room. I had to give mine up in the move and am using my dining room as a school room combo. We hope to close in the garage for a school room/rec. room. We will see.
Have a great week.

Mrs. H. said...

Kelli, I really enjoyed touring your schoolroom! I got some neat ideas from you. I have a small closet and two bookshelves to work with (and a husband that doesn't like to "live" school 24/?7! haha) so I have to really think about how we store things. :-) I hope you have a wonderful school year! :-)

TJ said...

I hope your school day went well! Kaia started today, and was absolutely thrilled. She has never gotten herself up and dressed that quickly.

Your room looks like so much fun!

Pink Slippers said...

This is my first year homeschooling my 8 year old son and 5 year old son. I started early e=while hubby was around all day. And I just LOVE it. Beside the fact I do not have to rush,hurry and holler to get out the door to beat the bell. With six little children it became very hard. I struggle with house space and keeping others busy during class time but it is working and I do love it. I liked looking at your class to get ideas. Thanks!

Christine said...

I love your school room! How fun! I so enjoy homeschooling, as well! You are very organized! I bet your family has a blast with Sonlight curriculum! Blessings!

Barbara H. said...

Thanks so much for sharing this link, Kelli! I love the cassette storage unit for the ribbons! Everything I've seen for ribbons involves putting them on some type of rod, and I've thought that would be neat for pulling off what you need, but tedious for taking off empty rolls (having to take off and put back on the rolls with ribbon still on them to get to the empty one). I like this idea better -- I will keep an eye out for one.

I saw somewhere a similar idea for stamps -- someone found an old shadow box with various sized small shelves to put them on so they could keep them out and "displayed" likes works of art themselves.

I hadn't thought of putting a table in the middle of the room, but I like that idea -- I like having the supplies within reach of where you're working.

Thanks so much!

Anonymous said...

we live in the year 2011 i think homeschooling is horrible and your being selfish

the little travelers said...

always love seeing some one elses school room. so much fun!