Schoolroom

 While the kids were occupied this week at art camp, I used the opportunity of  rare time to myself to organize the playroom. I started with the bulletin board. I kept the blue gingham background and added a fun polka-dot border I got from the dollar store a while back. I put up last year's picture of the kids and added the border around it, too. I used some of the back-to-school printables from Birds Party again to decorate the board. I don't think you can read it in the picture, but one of them beside their picture reads, "Teacher's pets!" Also on the board is a border-framed verse: James 3:17. This verse is the anchor verse for our homeschool. The cards on rings on the side of the board are the review cards for each year of History. We will be adding more for The Story of the World, Vol. 3 this year. There is space below the verse for other learning reminders; in later pictures you'll see a strip of the American Presidents, one of the kids' memorization projects for this year.

 Here is a picture of the bulletin board above the kids' workboxes. Each subject's work is put in a drawer, and the velcro number is put on the drawer. Once the work is completed, the children can put the number on the workbox grid on top of the workbox tower. By the end of the school day, all the numbers are off the drawer and on the grid. They can tell at a glance how much work is left for them to complete each day.

 Here is a little corner for independent work. This desk was one that I used when I was little. Blank notebooks are housed in the open space, and the little yellow bucket holds bookmarks. My favorite Mary Engelbreit prints that hung in my classroom grace this little nook.

 We are so blessed to have so many shelves and cabinets in this room! The top shelf houses math manipulatives and magnetic letters for Will's phonics lessons. Curricula and baskets with flash cards and my office supplies (post-it notes, thumb tacks, reward stickers, rubber bands, etc.) live on the next shelf. The third shelf down is divided into history resources and literature. The counter holds binders for various subjects, the electric pencil sharpener (We finally have one that works this year!), the hole puncher, and the printer.

 Here is our curricula for 2010-2011. You will notice a lot of resources from Peace Hill Press. I don't know why The Story of the World wasn't up here on the shelf; I think I was using it to track down extra reading for the history chapters.

 Here are the binders ready to collect work! 

 This table is where the magic happens! I have my laptop set up for lesson planning using Homeschool Tracker.

Here are the school supplies organized and ready to go on the lazy susan. 

Here are the shelves on the other side of the TV. The top shelf is the teacher's shelf that contains portfolios from past years, old lesson plans, and books on homeschooling. The Science shelf is the next one down, with science books, field guides, bug collecting equipment, and the microscope and slides. Art supplies and art books are on the next shelf, along with a bin for educational games like Quiddler. The counter holds a listening station for books on CD (We really like the stories of Jim Weiss) and classical music (Beethoven's Wig are favorites at our house . . . and in the car!). There are also paper trays for notebook paper, handwriting paper, and construction paper.

We use these stepstools we got from Target to reach things on the higher shelves.

Here is a photo of the whole shelving system, including the Quantum Leap Globe (a gift from my sister and much used!), as well as the Wii (perfect for PE on scorching hot or rainy days!).s

Here is a favorite part of the playroom / schoolroom--the reading corner! Joel made the rain gutter bookshelves at my request last year, and they are my favorite thing in the whole room! I love being able to put out the books that go along with what we're studying in history and science for the week! Having the covers facing outward really sparks the children's curiosity and desire to pull a book off the shelf. Some of Emily Anne's artwork hangs above the bookshelf; I think I'll have to add some of Will's recent masterpieces to the collection. The comfy beanbags can be moved around easily, too.

Here are the windows and window seats around the rest of the playroom. The windows let in a lot of light, and the drawers in the window seat hold toys. We have stored the cushions in the attic for right now because the window seat level is the perfect height for setting up battle scenes of toy soldiers and creating card-stock bands (complete with drum sets) for Barbies. I love the windows, but they don't allow for much wall space for posters and such. In a few years when Emily Anne reaches logic stage, and we add a timeline to our history study, I imagine a timeline stretching along these windows.

More windows, with the white board and dog crate for our Goldendoodle in the corner.

A shot of the workboxes and french doors into the screened porch. Addie is the official Seven Pillars Academy mascot!

This beautiful oak tree can be seen out the playroom windows. We're hoping to do put up some feeders and do some backyard bird watching this winter. Joel added the stepping-stone walk this summer, and I added hostas and coleus. They're growing well although you can't see them well in this picture.

Another view of this side of the schoolroom . . .

and one with the dog crate slid out of the way to allow access to the white board.

An inspirational quote for the first day of school

We'll see if the schoolroom stays clean for the first day of school on Monday!