Harriet wrote:The guidance counselor who spoke on reading at the meeting for future high-schoolers said that, no, AR was not continued into 9th grade and that she didn't approve of it anyway.
And did you stand up and cheer, Harriet, or were you able to contain yourself???
Harriet: I say that choosing a book by its length is something a non-AR student would do and the system is encouraging students to not choose the best book for them but to compromise. Hmmmphhh!
I'm exhausted. My course is now over, just our licensing on April 10th at our Presbytery meeting. I even had my interview today (didn't expect that but it was nothing compared to what the others went through for some reason.)
It is a beautiful day outside so dh and I shall go for a walk if I can get out of this chair. The sun and fresh air may perk me up.
LOL, Kally, my body language was quite transparent, I'm sure. And the fact that dd and her friend who had come to sit with us (near front) high-fived.. ... miiight have been a giveaway of their feelings. This was the main speaker of the evening, who introduced the others, and the idea was to ask questions of all the speakers afterward. So we did chat with her. Dd recalled speeding through A Series of Unfortunate Events (13 books), finishing, and asking herself "what just happened?" and the guidance counselor became somewhat animated at that! She said that was her main concern - the racing nature of the program making reading unpleasant. I did ask if there would be required summer reading (I remember this from my older children) and she said they had stopped that. So I suppose dd will feel strangely free after the school year ends.
Sorry to hear about dd's dog, Emptynester, but I'm sure he has offspring she can look to fondly. Possibly those in the video you showed us?
OKay, I neglected to say when I quoted you that I was impressed with how well you were staying on task! Hope the puppy plans go well for your ds' family (and that Buddy is not driven to distraction by a crazy collar).
Mischief story - dd's very good friend at school was caught passing a note when a boy mistakenly intercepted the note, didn't want it of course, so tossed it back to her through the air (I believe he misunderstood the note-passing concept, lol!). Teacher turned 'round when it was just about at the top of its arc and watched along with the class as it landed right on the friend's desk. Oh, my. Teacher read aloud the parts saying how boring her class was but stopped just short (while friend sweated it out) of the name of the boy the friend thinks is cute! I'm sure she realizes the power the teacher held at that moment!
Congrats on completing your course, Kathryn. Quite an accomplishment!
My yard certainly looks better. DBIL is a keeper, for sure. He worked up a sweat, almost feels like summer out there.
Why do I always get so sleepy this time of day???? sigh
Oh my, how embarrassing for Harriet's DD's friend. Yikes! I think that would cure anyone of passing notes in class. Kudos to the teacher for not revealing the boy's name.
Walk was done. It is an amazing day here for mid-March. Snow is almost all gone, high 50s and sunny. So lots of neighbours were out and we visited along the way. When I got home I took down the snowflake lights, put the reindeer away and pulled down some of the other Christmas lights. The ones on the porch still have to be pulled in and the power cords put away but that's all. Except for the driveway markers but a big snowfall is still a distinct possibility so I left those in.
I've been surfing the internet, wasting time since getting back. Dh has headed off to pick up dinner so I need to get my dinner ready to nuke when he calls to say he's on the way back.
Yeah, I'm not pleased with the way AR is implemented at your dd's school, Harriet. It really doesn't seem to develop a love of reading, does it?
I had a mega nap this morning, and this afternoon dh and I went to see the house. The slab was poured this week, and the trusses and walls, which are assembled offsite, have been delivered.
I started writing this earlier and I never posted it. I had another little nap on the screened porch - amazing that it was so warm. I had the ceiling fan going so had a little breeze. I've read a little and watched some basketball with dh. I think I'm going to head upstairs and read now.
This has been a wonderful day. Tomorrow I need to do some house shoveling....today I considered as rest and renew.
Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better [wo]man. Ben Franklin
Twins' Mom wrote:
This has been a wonderful day. Tomorrow I need to do some house shoveling....today I considered as rest and renew.
That's what a Sabbath is all about! Good job this week!
Dh and I watched 3 episodes of Weeds and then he helped me tidy up the kitchen. I'm thinking of going to bed early but will catch up on my devotions (I'm still 2 days behind) before I do so. I don't like to fall behind on those because then I'm out of synch on Sunday having missed a lesson.
114 cards completed
Plus -
** 2 hours dealing with a MPB customer who was having a very bad Saturday. He tried entering through the exit and almost ran into a car that was exiting. So he threw his car into reverse and gunned it. Ended up slamming his vehicle into our dumpster and knocking out his rear window and a passenger window....plus various other dents to his vehicle. The way he was driving and the way he talked lead us to believe he was under the influence of something. We called the police but before they arrived he started insisting that we should pay him for the damages. As he became more agitated, DH told him to file an accident report at the police station (across the road from us). They got into their broken vehicle and drove away.....leaving all the broken glass for us to clean up. #ThankYouVeryMuchForNothing.
OKay, it doesn't sound like any damage was done to the property. I hope not. I would think the customer going through the carwash at the time was rather shook up. I know when I've gone through a car wash, I've been a little tense and on edge in the first place, with little visibility and so much going on! Did you just happen to be there, or were you called and they waited on you? Document man-hours on the clean-up, IMO, just in case.
I got caught up in one of the books dd might read next and ended up at chapter 3 before I knew it - lots of intrigue. Another frustration for the parent trying to make sense of AR is the wildly erratic "reading levels". In what universe is the "How To Train Your Dragon" series (yes, of the cartoon movie, for grades 3-5), with their many pages of cute illustrations and their large typeface, at a significantly higher reading level than Agatha Christie's murder mysteries?
The newly spiffed lawn chairs got a workout today. Both dd and HRH used them as hen-shepherding stations at different times, lol. Dd reading and HRH listening to some Irish radio program. So the eggs should have extra protein content over the next few days. Sammie was confused between trying to "herd" the hens back toward HRH and being still as she was told. I really think she could herd them and she knows what she is doing for livestock in general. But chickens are very instant in their reactions, or over-reactions, and if startled they don't just jump, they explode, so she just frustrated HRH and therefore considered herself a failure.
I am feeling tension in the back of my neck and trying to decide whether to break over and take a pain reliever. I haven't needed one in a long time and I know my stomach would appreciate abstaining.
We are in the midst of a rainy week plus here. grass was overdue for mowing before this started so really needs doing. My mower still needs get to repair place. Or find someone who works from home. In the mean time I'll need get boy next door when it dries out enough. Squish and splash being the walking sounds atm.
I went looking round for inspiration and followed some links starting in the cardfile forum and 43folders.com . then skipping from one to another trying to get some umpff back. ummm. lost the links. Interesting though. Read a chapter of "do it tomorrow". thats really about building success in doing. The l*st averse may like his writing. Or maybe I'm confusing another website I read. All around positive influence on my mind. Today I started some cardfile/box. Starting with the everyday and personal things today.
trying for one task per card as per OKay. Though am keeping the one washing card so have it in today's set until it is complete and things are away.
I want basic headings in the everyday set - and variations under that theme - rooms or tasks.
Also remembering someone once saying trying to do one thing each hour. I just need get myself slightly more into gear as seem to have been lost lately.
Hugs prayers for Indiana. I hope things/health issues are sorted soon.
Just begin. Living this day, today Take a reality check; Remember to breathe; Do what I am able to do. Look for the good in all.
and watched along with the class as it landed right on the friend's desk. Oh, my. Teacher read aloud the parts saying how boring her class was 
but stopped just short (while friend sweated it out) of the name of the boy the friend thinks is cute! I'm sure she realizes the power the teacher held at that moment!
So he threw his car into reverse and gunned it. 
Sammie was confused between trying to "herd" the hens back toward HRH and being still as she was told. I really think she could herd them and she knows what she is doing for livestock in general. But chickens are very instant in their reactions, or over-reactions, and if startled they don't just jump, they explode, so she just frustrated HRH and therefore considered herself a failure.