My Favorite Resource This Week: Circle the Date Planner

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My favorite resource this week is the simplest, yet most effective, organizational tool I have ever used with my children. It is the Mead Circle the Date Planning Notebook.

I bought one notebook for each boy at Wal Mart. I cannot remember the price I paid but feel certain it was less than $10 per notebook.

Here's how we use them:

1. On Fridays, I collect the notebooks and fill in the pages for the up-coming week. I circle the date on each needed page. This is normally five pages (one each for Monday-Friday); however, if we plan to take a day off, I will only circle the date on the number of pages needed for active school days.
2. I write in specific page numbers and specific instructions for independent work and a note that says, "See Mom" for lessons we need to complete together.
3. I write in daily chores.
4. When I have filled in all the assignments, the boys place their planners in a "special spot" on their desks and work down their to-do lists each day.
5. Before I declare each school day finished, I read down each list, make sure I have graded all independent work, that all together work is complete, and inspect the quality of their completed chores.  If everything is done well, they are FREE! 
6. When they have finished their Friday work, they bring their planners to me for a conference during which we finish step 5 for that day and restart the cycle with step 1, preparation for the next week.

Here's what I like about these planners:

1. They are available in different colors, so each boy has his own. I know the red one belongs to Wilbur and the black one belongs to Orville (as do they).
2. The pages are large with lots of room to write...cause I always have lots to say (and write)!
3. It is spiral bound so we can easily keep the notebook open to the page for the day and keep all the old pages as records of what we have done. (Can anyone say easy end-of-the-year record?)
4. The circle-the-date feature means that we don't "lose" any pages because they are date specific. I don't need to write in instructions for Saturdays and Sundays or days that we are on a school break. All those pages would go unused in a date-specific planner.
5. It has made the school day run MUCH MORE SMOOTHLY! Really!!

Here is the best deal I could find online. It is not the exact same planner that we use, and I don't think they are available in different colors. I suggest checking your local Wal Mart or office supply store before buying online, however, should you buy through the link above, Amazon will pay me a small commission. Thanks! (I have not received any other compensation.)

Happy Date Circling!
Dawn

Resolutions

I am back online from my two-week hiatus. I stayed off the computer almost every day except to send a few necessary emails and to read a couple of my favorite blogs. The break was refreshing, and I feel ready to jump into a new year of blogging.

We had a really great Christmas break and celebrated with both my parents and Michael's family. I have pictures to share and stories galore to tell but will save those for another day.

Today I want to share my goals for the new year. Like my friend Heather, I want to post goals, rather than just one resolution. Having a list of specific tasks to reference throughout the year will help keep me productive and focused on what is most important. I have broken my list into categories.

First are my PERSONAL goals:

1. read through the Bible
2. find Scriptural response to a particular issue I regularly encounter
3. pray for grace to respond to above mentioned issue in a Christ-honoring way
4. continue to lose weight (I am not setting a specific amount. I just want to keep losing)
5. exercise 3x per week
6. teach flute weekly to current student and have six students total by year's end
   
   

My HOUSEHOLD goals:

1. continue to freezer cook
2. meet a particular financial goal by saving on groceries
3. improve my soap-making skills and earn enough money from sales to fund our gift giving
4. clean window exteriors
5. complete a cross-stitching project
   
   

My SCHOOL goals:

1. encourage Orville to complete his first cycle of catechism memorization
2. encourage Wilbur to complete half of his first cycle of catechism memorization
3. encourage daily Scripture memory- set regular goals for each boy
4. encourage daily instrument practice- continue with 100 day goal found on Kathleen's blog
5. complete project for International Festival
6. complete art pieces for HSLDA competition
7. prepare boys for YBC
8. complete 20th Century unit by May
9. complete 1/2 of Ancients study by Dec.
10. continue to workbox
11. incorporate more hands-on work for Wilbur
12. provide more one-on-one time for Wilbur
13. incorporate more independent study/research for Orville
14. find next step for Math to be used in 2011
15. finish Chemistry study by March
    
    

My HOMESCHOOL ASSSOCIATION goals:

1. fulfill my responsibilities as president with a servant's heart
2. lead monthly moms' meetings that will encourage and equip us in our roles as keepers at home/homeschooling moms/helpmeets
3. seek out quality resources for above
4. find someone to coordinate Spotlight Night
5. raise $100 for our association library
6. find an assistant coach for Mathletes
7. determine how to share Mathletes responsibilities
   
   

My BLOGGGING goals:

1. honor God with my words
2. support and encourage fellow homeschool moms
3. complete my Crew responsibilities
4. finish the Birding 101 series by March
5. move Olive Plants to wordpress by August
   
   

Phew! I got tired just writing that. It seems I have a lot to do in 2010, so I better get started! :)

Lord willing, I will let you know how I did next year. I am sure there will be some successes and some failures, but what is most important is that whatever we set out to do this year, it all be done for the glory of God.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Cor 10:31

Happy New Year!
Dawn