Here are some thrifty ideas on how to save some money in your classroom:)

http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/money-saving-diys-for-the-classroom?s=mobile

Finally Complete

All ready to ship out.  Now they get a break and we await the results and the phone conference with our counselor.

Placement Testing Day 2

Day 2 is going well.  The twins finished their test with no problems.  My oldest is taking longer because she has a lot more content and it is two grades higher than what she would typically be going into if we were doing brick and mortar.  I got a better groove today with stations having one on the classroom, one in the dining room and one in the kitchen.  My oldest had mostly independent work and the twins required all instruction with verbal testing so I had to keep one in the classroom working independently on crafts and they would switch.   It gave them a great break and kept their attention better doing it this way.   My oldest had some spurts of frustration with the unknown content and not being able to complete it so a cup of hot cocoa did the trick:)
One more section of reading and dictation and then a timed test in multiplication and division and we can ship them off.
It is a lot more work than I thought but it will be so worth it!

Placement Testing Intro

We survived day 1 of the placement testing. It was a little overwhelming at first running between three different stations because all of the tests have verbal and nonverbal parts which have to be done one on one.   The hardest part was for my oldest to accept the fact that she needs to leave some blank because there was indeed some unknown on here.   Being a perfectionist, it was difficult for her to understand why I could not just offer a quick instruction so that she could complete the section in its entirety.  I had to explain that the purpose of this test is to help me attain the proper materials at her level for the year.   If I get things that are too difficult it will frustrate us both.  I need for her and I both to be comfortable.  

The tests are broken down into 4-5 days but I feel we will finish in 2-3 which isn't bad.  Once we ship them back,  they grade them and call me with a 75 minute conference to help me come up with a course plan.   So far so good:)

Supplies & Valance

I finally got the valance finished and the supply closet is here.  I wanted one that was magnetic because I have big plans for organizing the inside doors and sides with pockets, cups and Rygel Bars from Ikea. The front can be used for learning materials,  calendar,  artwork, etc.  This particular closet has a ton of shelf space and the shelves can be adjusted several different levels for any type of organizational bin. I personally like the stackable ones so that I can double them up and maximize that space once I have all of my supplies and I'm ready to do my final nesting before school starts.  The girls will start placement testing soon.  That will be our first full week in the classroom:)  They are getting excited!

Great Science Experiments

http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/50127/fun-science-activities

Whiteboard Up and Functional

Hanging the whiteboard was easier than anticipated as long as you have 2 people. We used a stud finder to find studs in the middle and on at least one side of the board so that we did not have to use anchors.   We bought a pack of whiteboard nails costing under $3 figuring it's much easier to patch drywall with nail holes than huge holes from anchors.   Once we had it lined up with the studs we used a pencil to mark where the nails will go, hammered one side then used a level before hammering the other, nailing about 1\2 inch in so the trim will cover the nails.  Now that it's secure I can paint the trim and using a miter saw, cut the corners and finish up.  As you can see, we have all tested it, and it works fantastic! !!