Almost Back to School Series

I’m the snail of back to school this year, still gnawing away last year’s summer school, trying to get reluctant teens to finish up projects mama requires before next year. We’re actually finishing last year a week before we start this year… and I promised my kids a “Year End” party, so this year, our “Year End” party is also going to double as a “Back to School” party. { This might be why the teens lovingly refer to me as the wicked homeschool witch. } You win some, you lose some.

Hopefully they will forgive me when they CLEP out of Algebra and don’t have to take it in college. I’m counting on you, VideoText. Don’t let me down.

So I figured I could turn this lack of back-to-schoolishness into a series of posts. It may take that long to get my act together. Honesty is the first step towards improvement, right?

Since I think in lists, here’s my plan:

Post 1: Starting with God

PRAY – MAKE A GAMEPLAN – SET GOALS – GET ON THE SAME PAGE
1. Pray for the school year
2. Make a list of what I want the children to accomplish / goals
3. Review last year’s highs and lows
4. Have a meeting with the kids and discuss their aspirations for the year
5. Discuss what we should have done differently last year / changes to make
6. Pray with the kids for their school year & have them list goals in planners

Post 2: Getting Organized

ORGANIZE – CHOOSE RESOURCES – SET UP WORK AREAS
1. Read “The Organized Homeschooler” again
2. Organize the school supplies, the books, and the curriculum I have
3. Purchase any curriculum we still need
4. Thoroughly clean, organize, and purge closets & rooms
5. [Updated item] Create school nook in little boys’ room w/ desk/ supply cabinet
6. Set up workstations and preschool/Kindergarten schedule & supplies
7. Print off a back-to-school checklist (there are a few online listed below)
8. Organize the teacher’s desk
9. Create memory books/portfolios for last year’s work

Post 3: Planning

PLAN – SCHEDULE – FOCUS – FINE TUNE THE DETAILS
1. Finalize outside classes if we take them and get dates on calendar
2. Put dates on calendar for all events, birthdays, holidays, & appointments
3. Set up a planning day next week without interruptions
4. Enter LP into Homeschool Tracker for MOH 2 & 3, make book lists
5. Find books we have, check libraries for books we don’t, search online for Paperback Swap/Amazon
6. Print LP for history and put in homeschool binder
7. Update homeschool binder for this year
8. Make sure my printer has extra cartridge for school year
9. Data entry in Homeschool Tracker, print assignment sheets & report cards
10. Add PSAT/SAT testing dates to planner, print Texas standardized tests for beginning year evaluation

Post 4: Homemaking

LUNCH IDEAS – CHORES – MENU PLANNING – TIME SAVING TIPS
1. Make a list of quick healthy lunches for the school year
2. Set up a monthly menu plan for September October
3. Make chores lists for teens and tots
4. Set up my FlyLady homeschool binder & set cleaning/purge dates on calendar so they happen

Post 5: 2014-15 School Year

OUR PLAN FOR 11TH, 10TH, KINDERGARTEN & PRESCHOOL
1. List of Curriculum for the year we chose
2. List of Supplies and Educational Tools we’re using
3. Charts/Printables printed and ready to use
4. A glance at my planner – and the high school planners the big kids are using
5. Circle Time Box completed
6. Daily schedule posted, possibly chore charts/behavior charts & rewards discussed

Back to School Checklists I love:

Notgrass
The Teaching Home (they made a pretty PDF of this if you click under Charts on the left sidebar)

THREE WEEKS is not enough time to get all this done. Yet I’m plunging in head first anyway.

Follow along with me on my Almost Back to School Series and you can snag a few of my homeschool printables and enjoy my links to great homeschool helps in the process.

Here are the posts, linking up as I write them…

Almost Back to School Series Intro
Post 1: Starting with God
Post 2: Getting Organized
Post 3: Planning, Scheduling & Preparing (including printables)
Post 4: Homemaking Mostly Grain and Sugar Free Lunch Ideas
Post 5: 2014-15 School Year

Are you gearing up? Already started? 

I hope you have a wonderful homeschool year! I just love the newness of a new year – and all the hope and possibility that my blank planner pages represent!