Based on the comments about these, I made the investment. I bought two of the 2" binders; four of the 1 1/2" (seems more manageable for our stuff). I also bought two 1" for my attendance/grade sheets. They are yellow with an owl print. Too adorable! http://www.staples.com/1-Staples-Better-Binder-Glitter-Owl/product-nr_443977

:grouphug: Wishing you a speedy recovery...

The Velveteen Principles: A Guide to Becoming Real

I set them on one side, then stack another on top of it. This has created the perfect storage for my binders in my classroom. The idea of putting the four together to create a bench seat is genius. Heaven knows I have enough of these to make theater seating! (Target clearance three years ago/$2 apiece)

I've had both, and the Walmart/Target ones bowed in the middle as previously posted. They also started peeling on the corners. The IKEA ones look nice, hold up well. There are always some on Craigslist if you are looking for a price break.

Unfortunately in California teachers do not qualify for Social Security benefits. If you want to assure yourself of a good retirement, you have to go elsewhere. You do get a pension, if it's still there in twenty years:confused:. It's true that districts pay an astronomical amount for employees. I sat through a presentation six years ago at a board meeting, and at the time, 40% of the budget went for healthcare plans. It doesn't matter how much money is thrown at the problem of illiteracy. Saying we are going spend x amount of dollars on a program does not solve it. Sitting down with a kid, book in hand, will.

I agree with checking out FlyLady's tips. It's so hard sometimes because of the what ifs and the sentiments attached to objects. It's important not to overwhelm yourself. Choose small tasks that can be achieved in increments. Closets today, dressers and underneath beds tomorrow, etc. If you haven't used it in the past three months, you probably aren't going to. There are exceptions to this rule in terms of emergency preparedness. Good luck, and you can do this!

A collection of poetry books for 5 cents each (Frost, Whitman,Sandburg, Yeats, Rossetti, etc.) all brand new, never used! A barely used set of golf clubs for ds15. It's a big deal because he hits left-handed. $20.00 A beautiful clipper ship picture in a gorgeous walnut frame. $1.00 Cut glass vase for a dollar. :D Some assorted silver serving pieces and a 12-piece place setting of stainless for $5.00. I haven't gone as much this year. I used to go with a group of friends, but that has fallen by the wayside. (long story) Best find of all was when I made dh stop by a foreclosed house with lots of boxes by the curb in my mom's neighborhood. Found an original Spirograph set, a blue Mason jar, two china serving platters, and four brand new gallon cans of Behr paint.

You can call the coach or athletic office at any time. The coach just can't contact your child about playing for them except during the NCAA approved contact period. Ds received literature and questionnaires from numerous schools starting in 9th grade. You can go online and fill out the interest forms now, if you want.

I have struggled with this issue for many, many years. Oldest ds was brilliant from ages 2-11. He then contracted slacker's disease (no known cure). We asked what would motivate him for better grades and he wanted a small television to watch his movies on. He recieved straight A's for the entire year. Once he got the tv, it was over. Method never worked again. Sit down with your ds and watch the episode from Freakonomics about 9th graders being paid for grades. We watched it as a family and had some good discussions from it. I think that some kids need to mature out of this on their own, but as parents we should still set the parameters of expectations. You can't motivate the unmotivated; but if you discover something that works, you could become a billionaire. :D It's hard, even now, to think about all the great things ds could have done, rather than settle for what he has now. But in the end, it's not my life or my choice. Doesn't stop me from feeling like the world's crappiest parent sometimes!

Once you have completed 8th grade, you are considered a rising 9th grader; therefore, a high schooler...at least this is how it worked with us.

Thanks for the encouraging words. Glad to know about the feedback. We went the entire year without any comments on work, only letter grades. Excited to start with something new...

I signed ds15 up for the program this week after some long deliberations. K12 was a bust for us. It wasn't the program itself, but the cyber school running it. Ds is missing two electives which were dropped from his schedule due to "no teacher available". K12 did nothing to help us except to suggest that we pay for the missing classes and take them during the summer. I feel like I wasted my son's 9th grade year. We need affordability and accountability, which AS provides. I know that he will do better focusing on a few subjects at a time. Sigh:)

Welcome to the joys of aging! Many more pleasant surprises await you in the mysteries of pre-menopause...:D

Something I hadn't even considered. We read every night and have snuggle time. Thanks for all the great responses.

This link has a varied price eating plan for the week. http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/40dollarmenu.htm We didn't use everything on it, but used its ideas to create our own. We rotated the following: Spaghetti, Tacos, Chicken, Mac and Cheese, Potatoes w/leftovers for toppings, and Pizza. We used the crockpot a lot over the past two years. Sliced veggies and fruit are good fillers, also.

:lol: Please, please say you didn't take it!

Dd9 is in the middle of a total room makeover. She has outgrown the princess decor, and is now on to her new love: horses. Our bedrooms have a funky shape to them, making furniture arranging near impossible. She has to stay with a twin size bed or there wouldn't be room to walk. We have been going through Craigslist every day scouring the ads for beds. She fell in love with the IKEA loft bed that has the desk underneath. For those of you who have this, how does it work out? Is it a pain to make/change the sheets? Any other issues I should know about? Thanks in advance...

The first time I heard about this, I thought it was like Fly Lady. It meant that you were self-disciplined enough to set up your house cleaning routine. :lol:

Yes, it would seem plausible to expect that by age 14 a student would be reading, and fluently, but... I still get some students every year that are on about a 2nd grade comprehension level, and I won't even talk about FLUENCY level.:glare: I am expected to make sure that these kids pass the state exit exam, and perform well on the national tests. I really believe that I have become a professional test-taker teacher. It's a travesty. If my kid didn't know how to read, I hope I would notice this before age 14. Parents have a responsibility, also. The district will probably settle the lawsuit, put some new measures into place to cover themselves in the future.

It depends on the sport. Softball, baseball, basketball are primarily recruited from select/travel team tournaments. Oldest ds did not have to play his sport in high school if he didn't want to, due to the level of travel team he was on. If you decide to homeschool through high school, you will need to make sure that whatever program you choose is accepted through the NCAA clearinghouse.

When my mom flies into Seattle, my sister gets a pass to meet her at the gate. You just have to go to the ticket counter of the airline that she is flying and get a clearance pass. I then do the same on her return trip.

Great...I just caved in and bought an 18 pack at Staples today. Microban label right on the cover. Off to check out the links to other "safe" pencils. My kids are past the "chewing" stage but I worry about the sharpenings.

I posted about this on the other thread. As lame as it sounds, as a teacher I need these deals. I provide the majority of my students' supplies for the school year. (colored pencils, scissors, paper, pens/pencils, etc.) I was really counting on picking up the highlighters for cheap this year for literary analysis. I will do some of this week's deals simply because I am buying some of the better binders. I'll couple each binder with the set limits. I think I will be looking elsewhere for good deals this year. I hope Target will have some good deals like the spiral notebooks for 10 cents.

:grouphug: