In my defense, I haven't written because I've been knocking out projects left and right!
I'm nearly done with our garage clean-up and organization. I'd say it's "done" but I'm really hoping to add a mudroom locker type space in the garage next to the door. That's not done yet. And, we're seriously discussing what to do with the walls and floor in the garage--floor more seriously. I'll share the progress on that space in the next few days.
School started for the Girl and she's loving it! With the start of this school year, we also implemented some new organization strategies with her schoolwork. I'm remarried so the Girl spends one week with us and one week with her dad. Last year, we had some trouble sharing and organizing things like spelling words from week to week. Things appear to be a little more consistent in her new class, with things like spelling words coming home every week instead of "sometimes, but not always". Each household keeps a binder to organize each week's work. This is helpful not only for organizing and sharing between houses; it's also enabled us to practice more at home with copies of sheets that were sent previously. I also made a spelling Practice Test that we do each day as part of homework time. I'm having her take practice tests for Math Facts every couple of days--the timed tests seem to be a challenge for my kiddo.
I use the front pocket to keep quizzes or worksheets that I am having her do throughout the week. These are in addition to whatever homework she brings home from school. I keep the colored pens in the purple pencil case--The entire binder is color-coded by week so they stay in there for writing on the index, calendar, and for scoring/correcting the quizzes and worksheets she does here at home. You can see the spelling Practice Test we use, thrown together in Pages based on the layout of her real test at school.
I made the index in Pages based on the number of weeks the Girl has before winter break. I couldn't find the Avery ones at Target and I wasn't running around to a bunch of stores looking for them (despite my LOVE of office supplies, I'm not so fond of carting around a cranky toddler just for an index and dividers). Each section corresponds to a week and is color-coded red through purple. We write the major assignments that were sent home that week and note upcoming tests and skills that need practice.
Monthly calendars follow the index and include week's that the Girl is with me and weeks she is with her dad. Holidays and no-school days are also included as well as school events/activities that are scheduled.
Color-coded and dated dividers with plastic sleeves keep the original blank worksheets and her graded tests contained and organized by date. I couldn't find dividers in the exact colors I wanted either so these are simply made with scrapbook cardstock and pieces of index cards.
And, some of the homework... The spelling words actually come to us in a different format, but I like to type them in to a template in pages to keep them this way. I'm not as fond of the format they are sent home in (it's like a box/grid and it's copied so the print isn't always ideal). This way I can make the print as large as I want and they're in great condition to keep. The continents and oceans page on the left is just one I pulled off the internet for the Girl to practice leading up to their test on that material.
When I started putting this together the Hubs said, "Do ya' think ya' might be going a little overboard here?" I realize it's a bit meticulous, but this has turned out to be a great way to maintain communication between households, and a better way than expected to carry her school lessons through when she comes home.
Until next time....... when we talk SHOP (garage kind-a shop, not shoppING.... boo!)
-Nic
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