Kicking off a New School Year!

We officially start homeschooling for the 2022/2023 school year next Monday! This is my last week for preparations and organizing. I’m trying to get everything together and ready to go.

I’m expecting a baby the end of September, plus I have a preschooler, so I really felt the need this year to have the boys be mostly independent in their work. We chose curriculum with this in mind. As I’ve been looking through their books and getting familiar with everything, I’ve kept that concept in the forefront of my thoughts – independence. 

Here are a few things I’m doing to prepare to kick off our school year.

The thing I’ve been doing that I think will be one of the biggest helps this year is getting the boys a box for their science supplies. This subject calls for the most supplies for both of them. I know that if I don’t have what we need on-hand, it will be pushed aside and not done. Both of their science books have three different sections for the year. I went through the first section in both of their books and made very extensive lists of the supplies they need. I’ve been buying and collecting the things they will need and storing them in one of our empty bins on our school shelf. This way, when they have an experiment (which is several times a week each), they will have everything they need right there. Other than perishable items and craft items, everything will be in this box. After they are finished with their first section, I will do this for the second section as well. 

I may need to put these supplies in two bins rather than one because it’s getting heavy!

I’ve also been organizing our school shelf. The boys each have their own shelf for their books, and the bins contain loose items that we need. I made sure their books are accessible to them and placed where they won’t get lost. They will grab the books they need for one subject at a time and put them back on the shelf when they are finished, grabbing the next subject. Last year, we had bins for all of their books, and it got messy and disorganized. The bins their books were stored in also tore, bent, and even broke. By having their books upright and visible, I think this will curtail some of the mess and disorganization. 

Silas has his on the top and Titus right below.

I purchased more pencils, markers, colored pencils, crayons, and glue sticks. I went through our pencil caddy and threw away small and broken pencils, dried out markers, and broken crayons. I went through the boy’s pencil boxes from last year and decided not to give them a pencil box this year. I put the markers, pencils, crayons, and so forth in the caddies we have to be used by all of us this year.

We share this caddy for pencils, markers (thin and fat), and pens.

We also have caddies for colored pencils, scissors, and glue sticks.

I’ve ordered the picture books Zeke will need for his preschool and restocked some of our art supplies – jewels, googly eyes, paper, and glue sticks. I’m starting to print out worksheets to supplement his curriculum and keep him busy when he begs for more schoolwork like his brothers. 

I keep all of Zeke’s preschool work on this shelf. I think I’m going to have a small caddy for his scissors, glue, crayons, and markers as well.

Mercie will be attending a small, private school this year, so we purchased the supplies she needed. They’re in her backpack, ready to go on the 22nd of this month! We still have to buy paper towels, toilet paper, and a few things like that. 

Mercie’s backpack full of her supplies!

I set up Silas’s account with Nicole the Math Lady. He will be using her videos along with Saxon Math 7/6. It’s ready to go, and we may do a few lessons this week to show him how it works!

Monday, I plan to have a fun kick-off morning with a big breakfast and some gifts. I haven’t totally decided what I’m doing this year, but I always want the first day to be special, something to look forward to. 

We plan to get six or so weeks under our belt before Zoey gets here, so we’re hoping we get a good routine going by then. That way the boys can continue with homeschooling while I’m recovering! 

Our main school shelf. 

What do you do to kick-off a new homeschool year? Link up your “K” posts this week!