Here it comes again........

the first day of school!!!  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  Wish I were excited as this little guy...
but the truth is...it's hard to feel anything except utter panic when your diningroom table looks like this the week before school is starting!!!!
 
And it looks that way ALL THE WAY AROUND!!!!

 

Deep breaths, Marla.  Deeeeeeeeeeeeeep breaths. (Oo gracious, that's a mighty cute little guy up there!)

 

It's really not as bad as it sounds.  The tough part is done, figuring out WHAT we want to use.  Now I just have to figure out the HOW and WHEN.  My first step was to write down everything I wanted to use/cover and how long I think it will take.....

Then I write each day that we will be schooling at home at the top of a sheet of paper and make a schedule for it....

(Notice how it has been erased multiple times?)

I made a sheet for Monday, Tuesday until noon (we co-op from 12:30-2:45), and Wednesday.  We co-op again on Thursday from 9-12:30.  I'm leaving Fridays open for fun stuff- art, extra read aloud time, baking, etc.  If they finish their work each day then they won't have to finish it on Friday.

Okay- here's the list of what we'll be doing this year:

Shades Valley Co-Op

Science= Apologia's Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day

Art

History= The Book of Luke, In Search of a Homeland: The Story of Aenid, City, Famous Men of Rome, Galen and the Gateway to Medicine, Detectives in Togas

Cultural Studies= Theresa of Calcutta, Mary Slessor

Communication= Institute for Excellence in Writing

Cainberly Academy (home)

Math= Mastering Essential Math Skills

Writing/Reading= WriteShop Junior Book D & finishing up Phonics Museum with B.

Spelling= Sequential Spelling

Bible Study= Finish Apologia's Who Am I? & Who's My Neighbor

Handwriting= Copywork & I Can Write (Cursive for B.)

Language Journal= For writing letters to me about what they are reading in their chapter books

History, Science, IEW= Reading for co-op classes

 

I also have lots of blank journals, blank story journals, and those black and white composition books.  We like to cover them with decorative paper and clear contact paper.  They look terribly lovely for a $.50 notebook! Here's a sampling......

We use these whenever we get bored and need to do something fun and creative.  The pretty journal, however, is Abby's literature journal.  Ben's journal has fuzzy little monsters all over it! ;o)

So now all that is left to do is clear off some of the bookshelves to make way for the stuff we are using this year!  Anybody need anything?!  If there is anything I can help you with if you're in the planning stages, please let me know!