Hadlee's Homeschool First Day!

                                Hadlee's Homeschool First Day!

We've been waiting for this day for quite some time! It's finally here, the first day of school! For those of you who don't know. Last year I started to homeschool my daughter, my niece and my godbaby. This fall I decided that I would open the school for a few more children. I wanted to keep enrollment low so that I can focus more on each child and they can form friendships easier with their classmates. I believe a smaller student to teacher ratio really can enhance their learning environment.

Ivy and I woke up fairly early that morning. We had laid her outfit out the night before on her window bench. I went into her room and helped her get dressed. Brushed her hair and braided it in a small braid off to the side with a pink bow. Even though we have school at home, Ivy insisted that she have a backpack for school too. So we packed up her backpack with a few special things and a little lunch box. We both ate a small breakfast of cereal and juice and headed out to the front porch for the quintessential first day of school photo's. Ivy was so excited and gave me her best smile for all of the photo's. The morning sun was still lovely and orange - giving me the sign it's going to be a beautiful day!

My baby on her first day of school

Taking pictures of my little girl

Taking pictures of my little princess

Good Morning!

Ready for school

Snapping more pictures

After getting in all of the photo's I could possibly take of her standing on the front porch I went in and snapped a few photo's of the room before little feet and little voices filled the room.

The entrance to the school in my home. They each have a small basket and a hook for their coat. 

The art center, toy shelf, morning meeting area and play center

The reading nook. Back door, and fish tank installed in the wall.

The science area, pet center, water & dirt tables, and meeting table.

Overview of the room

Soon after I managed to get a few photo's I heard cars driving up the road. They were finally arriving. Ivy and I went outdoors and waited at the top of the driveway for everyone.

After all of the goodbye's and the parents were gone. The kids and I walked around the room and I pointed everything out to them. We all sat down in the morning meeting area. This is where we meet every day before we start our day. We sing songs together (Yes, I really sing on voice) The Good Morning song, The Days of the Week, The Weather Song and I appoint a Calendar helper for each day. We talk about the month, the days of the week and figure out the weather together as a group. The girls all found their mat and happily listened to the classroom rules and listened to me sing. Soon, they will learn the words too and join in!

Gathering for Morning Meeting

After we finish calendar .. it's time to get some of the silly wiggles out. It's time for music! We sing and dance and listen to children's music together! ( I play it through voice in SL ) We have a blast doing this together. It's a great way to wake up our sleepy muscles in the morning!

We gotta shake, shake, shake those sillies out! 

When music is though it's time for some free play. The girls are able to play with anything available in the classroom. Some chose to explore, some chose to paint, and others chose a small puzzle to do quietly. 

Giselle working on her puzzle and Maelie doing one aside her

Before we knew it free play was over and we all sat down for a small snack. We all had a small fruit bowl and some juice or milk. The girls seemed to really enjoy that. After snack we met together on the rug for a book about the first day of school! (I seemed to have lost some of my photo's so..it's missing) The girls expressed to me after the book that some of them were nervous about their first day of school too. It turns out in our silly story that the Teacher was nervous for the first day of school. See, even us grown up get the nervous nellies too! After story we all lined up at the door and tried to march like dinosaurs to the kitchen to wash our hands up for lunch. They all did a wonderful job staying in line and listening. I'd told them earlier that there will be a superstar of the week and that they should have their listening ears on and ready so they can earn that superstar and a prize!

We all joined at the table for lunch and some of the girls even shared with each other. It was very sweet to see.

Lunch Time!

With full bellies the girls put their things away in their baskets by the door and each found a small sleeping mat by the big window in the circle time area. They all laid down and I turned the lights out on the soft lullaby music on. I covered them up and rubbed their backs if they asked. While the kids slept I tried to get ready for the art project in the afternoon.

Nap Time

Nap Time

After a small mishap during nap time.. ( some blanket throwing and a naughty word being said.. ) I woke the girls gently and turned the light back on. They helped me pick the mats back up and put them by the window. I showed the girls the empty bulletin board. We talked some about apples and in September that people often go and pick them at orchards. I had a small print out of an apple and had them each color one and try to write their name on it for me. While they worked I hung a picture of each of them on the board where I would hang their apple picture. They all did a wonderful job and now our bulletin board was ready for September!

Coloring Apples

The day was coming to a close. We all admired the beautiful apples up on the board and it was time to get ready to go home. We gathered once more together in the circle and sang the goodbye song. It was a wonderful first day of school. I hope that the girls all had fun and look forward to many more adventures with me at homeschool.

Love,
  Meg