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[jackthebear]

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@lolakimono wrote:

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@jackthebear wrote:

@lolakimono 

is there a buynothing dot org group in your area

we have one that is very active, I think people would love to donate to your classroom 

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@jackthebear 

I looked on FB Marketplace and NextDoor, and I have some stuff on Donorschoose.  

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it is another place and it's all free.   

[lolakimono]

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@Foxxee wrote:

Wow!  When I went to school, teachers weren't permitted to decorate. 

We could decorate a bit for Christmas and other holidays, but there was a time limit when it had to be taken down.  

The only things allowed were the teacher's desk and chair, student desks and chairs, and the American flag standing in the corner in the front of the room.  

The same currently in my school district.  

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@Foxxee 

In my school, about 50% of the students are on a free/reduced lunch meal plan, due to their family's low income.  We also have students who are dealing with trauma, and school is their "escape" from a home life that is less than ideal.  We are encouraged to make our spaces welcoming, to increase the # of students who "want" to come to school.  In September the BOE reimburses us $100 for expenses.  That's it.

I am sure we will have a directive to not put nails in the freshly painted walls, but sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.  

[DREAMON]

Hope you have a great year. It is starting off positive with your classroom!!!

Looks like it will be a happy place for you and your students.

[lolakimono]

This is my extremely long bulletin board, in the rear of the classroom.  Since I started with the peel and stick wallpaper, I wanted a subtle paisley to cover the back board.  I found one that I liked on Etsy, but it was $11.50 a yard.  The seller had 7 yards.  I also found a similar (but I didn't like it as much) print in a bolt at Walmart for about $33 (8 yards).  I messaged the Etsy seller with the link to the WM fabric, and said that I loved what she had but could not justify the expense, so would she consider a lower price if I bought all that she had?  I explained that I would rather support an Etsy seller than Walmart, but I also have a lot of expenses.

She came back right away, lowered the price and shipped it the next day.  I promised her a picture (which I sent) and she responded wishing me a great year.

I did this by myself, which was difficult because I am vertically challenged, but at least it's done!

I used sentence strips, doubled up and glued together, and added the vintage fabric to cover the strips.  Because the fabrics from Etsy were vintage, most were available in either one yard or two yards, which is why I have those particular fabrics as the trim.

[godi]

People do not realize how much work goes into teaching. Summer off? No, plans plans plans. It's a lot of work. You are amazing @lolakimono Your room will be visually stimulating and beautiful. Have a great year. 

[redwrite]

Following with interest, and LOVING your work!

I am also in the process of putting my classroom together right now, but am somewhat "stalled" in one area. You mentioned cinder block walls-Do you have any idea how to hang picture frames on a cinder block wall-without drilling holes into the wall?

[1 DancinQueen]

@lolakimono     Good heavens, Girl...you have been busy.  Congrats to you for your energy, creativeness, and hard work for your students.  You are an inspiration.  You have yourself a great teaching year and let's hope the school year can be more "normal" for all involved.  I pray the vaccine is coming for the under 12s and that ALL finally get their shots.  Just don't want to see any more anti-vax people in their hospital beds saying, "...I should have gotten my shots".

[roeroe1005]

@lolakimono,

I love what you've done with your classroom!  And congrats on having your own room.

I was a Secretary to the Principal in a 7-12 grade school.  Our school was also over 100 years old.  Two of our entrances were marked "Girls" & "Boys".  So I get what you are saying about brick walls, outlets, etc.

But you have taken what would be a drag and turned it into something inviting for your students.

I wish you a productive and safe school year.  BTW, if you are on DonorsChoose, I would like to make a small contribution towards your goal.  Every little bit helps.

[lolakimono]

On the left of the bulletin board there is a built in bookcase.  This has been broken since I started there, when I put in a work order to have it repaired.  The shelves are there, but the brackets that hold the shelves in place were missing and the metal track that attaches to the wood was curled and away from the frame.

I bought this set of terracotta plates from Shopgoodwill, but I thought they would look better with some mirrors.

I bought these framed artwork items from Shopgoodwill, but they were listed separately (same artist) so the one ended up being way more as there was a bidding war.

The teacher who had previously used the room purchased this green bookcase and shoved it in the built in, since the shelves were unusable.

I went to ACE hardware with one of the shelf clips and I bought everything that they had to fix my room (and my colleagues' rooms, which are in a similar state of disrepair).

This is what it looks like after I fixed the tracks and used about 30 nails and skrews to stabilize the track.

The faux wood backing no longer attaches, but since it's built in I'm not sure how to fix it.  I did get a custodian up to pull the rusty nails out that were poking on the bottom shelf.  SMH

I bought this vintage fish blanket from eBay a few years ago, and decided it was the right size (with a hem) to cover the space.

[lolakimono]

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@redwrite wrote:

Following with interest, and LOVING your work!

I am also in the process of putting my classroom together right now, but am somewhat "stalled" in one area. You mentioned cinder block walls-Do you have any idea how to hang picture frames on a cinder block wall-without drilling holes into the wall?

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@redwrite 

If it's a heavy (framed) item, I use these, which require a hammer (not a drill).  Stay tuned as I have one of those to post about. 

If you can't hammer into a wall, then I would use the Command picture hanging and use them on every square inch.