And so it begins

Hi everyone!!!

School's back in session!!!  (Okay, no it's not, but today was the first day we could enter our beautifully remodeled building.)  :-)  Unfortunately, we're being teased.  We got in today, but have to stay away this weekend while they buff the floors.  Based on e-mails, I was under the impression that our rooms would be A MESS.  I'm happy to report that it wasn't as bad as I was fearing.  This post will have all of the before pictures, and after many days of work next week, I'll post finished ones.  I may do what Christina over at Bunting, Books, and Bainbridge did and post a daily photo update.  While I was there, the workmen got my air all set up (YES, the remodel is THAT good.  Each teacher has her own individual air.).  Okay, here we go with some pictures: 

This is the view from the door.  Sorry for the quality, but as you can see, I get A WINDOW!!!  My fourth year of teaching, and finally, finally, finally I have a window in my classroom.  A WINDOW!!!  Yeah, I'm pretty excited.  I'm a little OCD, so this picture does reflect some "grouping" of desks, chairs, and boxes that I did so I could get a sense of my space. 

This is the opposite view.  One of the workers snuck into the photo accidentally.  :-)  The corkboard over the lockers is new, and I'm pretty excited about it.  Stapling will be oh-so-easy! 

My newly mounted projector and re-mounted SMART Board.  Please excuse the furniture EVERYWHERE in this picture. 

To the right, you can see my new sound box, microphones, etc. on the wall.  My room has its own SOUND system.  This is almost too good to be true!  :-)  In the bottom right, you can see my kidney table that needs to be turned around and scootched into place.  I'll be able to see everything from that spot.  I'm going to load that cabinet up with my teaching things. 

Here's my major shelving for the classroom.  Over to the left, I even have a sink.  I have NO idea what's in most of those boxes.  Some of them are labeled as math manipulatives, but the rest are mystery boxes. 

My kidney table, my sink, and boxes, boxes, boxes.  Not a one of those boxes contains my personal stuff.  That's all in my car, my apartment, and my parents' upstairs storage room. 

Anyway, that's pretty much the gist right now.  Next step, move all of my stuff in, get some butcher paper, and go to town getting this place ready.  I know I promised you a post about birthday bags, but I just finished my summer classes, and I haven't done them yet.  They will probably get made this weekend.  When I get back in Monday, I hope to move in more stuff, unpack the math and mystery boxes, and maybe put up my birthday bags bulletin board and my Daily 5/Cafe Board (Woohoo!!!).  I plan to put my reading corner by the window (pretty right?).  You can't tell from the picture, but the wall by the window is covered in blue cork board, so it should be pretty "user friendly."  I forgot to take pictures of my fourth wall (oops), but it is covered with another white board.  My computers wil go along this wall.  Above the white board is some long skinny bulletin board space that I think will be perfect for birthday bags.  :-)  I'll keep you posted. 

Don't forget to enter my Donors Choose giveaway in the post below (and support/advertise my DonorsChoose project).  I didn't say this before (because it sounds kind of mean), but I will check to see if you've actually done the entries.  If you haven't and you win, I will pick another winner.  Gosh, that really did sound mean, but I want to be fair.  (We teachers always have to be fair, right?)  :-)  Have a great day!!!