Category Archives: Public School

Zeke and Mayci’s Final Grades

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Zeke and Mayci both did fabulous this year. They both worked so hard and their grades totally reflected that.

Zeke
Language Arts – B (83%, 84% for the year)
Math – B (84%, 78% for the year)
Social Studies – A (90%, 83% for the year)
Science – B (89%, 86% for the year)
He got Satisfactories in Conduct and Health (Excellent for the year) and Excellents in Art, Theater Arts, Music, and PE.

Mayci
Language Arts – A (99%, 97% for the year)
Math – B (86%, 92% for the year)
Social Studies – A (100%, 99% for the year)
Science – A (100%, 97% for the year)
She got Excellents in Conduct, Health, Art, Theater Arts, Music, and PE.

Anthony’s 4th Quarter of Kindergarten Grades

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Kindergartners are graded on a scale of 1 to 4. Anthony did so great this school year. He has a rough time sometimes because of ADHD and the medication shortage issues going on right now, but the school has been amazing helping him through it. As with pre-k, most kids get 2s and 3s for their grades.

In music and PE both, he got a 3 and a 2 (the 2s related to conduct). In language arts he got all 3s and a 2. His stage of writing is writing sentences. In reading he got all 3s and a 2. In math he got all 3s and a 2. He can rote count to 100, which as high as they test to at his age. In social studies he got all 3s. In science he got all 3s. In conduct he got mostly 3s and a few 2s which is really awesome for him, especially with a not so great medication option.

Nicholas and Noah’s 4th Quarter Grades

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Nicholas and Noah both did so great this school year. They both know all 26 upper and lowercase letters, the sounds all 26 letters make, and can rote count to 30 (the max they test pre-k kids to). Pre-K kids are scored 1 to 4. Mostly they scored 2s and 3s.

In self-awareness, which includes things like waiting their turn, self-regulating, and showing initiative. Nicholas got a pretty even mix of 2s and 3s. Noah got mostly 3s in that section.

In self-management, which includes things like remaining focused in group activities for 20 minutes and free/center play activities for 25 minutes, showing flexibility to changes in routine, and following 2- and 3-step instructions, Nicholas got all 2s and one 3 (in staying engaged in free play activities) and Noah got a mix of 2s and 3s.

In social awareness, which includes things like using imagination and identifying similarities and differences in families, Nicholas got all 3s and a 2 and Noah got all 3s.

In relationship skills, which includes things like interacting positively with peers and adults and initiating social interactions with peers, they both got a pretty even mix of 2s and 3s.

In responsible decision-making, which includes taking care of materials appropriately and showing curiosity and trying new approaches, Nicholas got all 2s and a 3 and Noah got all 3s.

In emergent literacy, which includes all sorts of pre-reading skills, Nicholas got all 2s and Noah got a mix of 2s and 3s. Nicholas’ stage of writing is letter-like forms or mock letters and Noah’s stage of writing is wavy scribbles or mock letters.

In emergent math, which includes all sorts of pre-math skills, Nicholas got almost all 3s and a couple 2s and Noah got all 3s.

In additional standards, which includes things like using sensory language to describe objects and observing and exploring the natural processes in the environment, Nicholas got all 3s and Noah got mostly 3s and a 2.

May Reads

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I read 12 books in May which was a total of 3160 pages. I began the month with Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert. I gave it 4 stars. It was an enemies to friends romance which is always fun. Then I read There I Go Again by William Daniels. I gave it 5 stars. I apparently read it before when it first came out but I don’t really remember reading it. I love Mr. Feeny. After that I read The Unforgettable Logan Foster by Shawn Peters. I gave it 5 stars. I immediately passed it on to Zeke because I knew he’d love the foster kid with superhero parents thing.

My next book was Just the Way You Are by Beth Moran. I gave it 5 stars. It was a fun, clean romance that was picked for the real life book club I go to. Then I read Untold Stories of Nurses: The COVID-19 Pandemic by Kate Kalagher. I gave it 2 stars. I should know better than to read books that indie authors ask me to read. It never goes well. The stories in this book were great. The need of an editor was greater. Next I read You Can’t Touch My Hair by Phoebe Robinson. I gave it 5 stars. This was one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. Also sad, and relatable.

After that I read Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn. I gave it 4 stars. It ruined my all 5 star ratings for Book of the Month books streak. It was still good and I enjoyed reading about 60-something year old women being awesome. Then I read Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. I gave it 5 stars. That was a re-read and even knowing the twist at the end it was still a truly fabulous book. There’s a reason Nicola Yoon is one of my most favorite authors. Next I read Clone 3 by Patti Larsen. I gave it 2 stars. Usually I love young adult dystopian. This one just wasn’t very good.

My next book was Nothing But the Truth by Avi. I gave it 5 stars. It was written in a very unique style and easily taught a very useful lesson without that lesson being right in your face. Then I read The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand. I gave it 4 stars. This was probably the most well done classic retelling I have ever read. My last book of the month was Knights of the Square Table by Teri Kanfield. I gave it 3 stars. It wasn’t the most awesome end to my month of books. Parts were good, but the last half was just kind of weird.

My favorite book of the month: Everything, Everything

My least favorite book of the month: Clone 3

Number of 5 Star Books: 6
Number of 4 Star Books: 3
Number of 3 Star Books: 1
Number of 2 Star Books: 2
Number of 1 Star Books: 0

38/100 books left to read for my goal of the year

I got through almost my entire TBR (just Amari and the Night Brothers left) for the month so nearly all of the books on June’s TBR are new. I added the next Harry Potter and the next Throne of Glass, a book a friend recommended to me that was in my reading soon file, the June book for my real life book club, a book for 2023 BINGO, and the last five books I need to complete my Alphabet Soup challenge. That’s a total of 11 books. Since the kids are out of school for the summer now I probably won’t be able to come close to finished the four books I’m currently reading plus get to all of these. I guess we’ll see at the end of the month.

School’s Out

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Yesterday was the last day for the 2022-23 school year. Now we have a 75 day summer break. In August we’ll have two in pre-k (at two different schools since Noah will still be in ECSE), one in kindergarten, one in first grade, one in second grade, one in third grade, and a sophomore and a senior in high school.

Fritz is all done his junior year. When he unloaded his backpack he saved a pile of stuff and said there was information about applying to college in there because that’s coming up quick. He took AP US History this year and while it was a lot of work he also learned a lot.

Adrian finished his freshman year. He loves DATA in spite of the long bus ride (his best friend is going to another magnet at the same school next year, though, so the bus ride will be a bonus. There were three or four fires set at their school the last few months so he did indeed learn what happens when there is arson. He said he won’t have holidays because he’ll be going to summer school for six weeks (taking art and PE so he can get all the appropriate credits to graduate because of iCSI).

Zeke completed second grade. I have no idea where he got play tennis for what he plans to do over the summer. He’ll be playing some other sports, but not tennis. He doesn’t know why he said that either.

Mayci finished first grade. Of course she said she wants to do her summer workbook this summer because she loves school and anything that looks like school. The year was a little rough due to having a completely inexperienced teacher, but we made it through! I just hope Anthony doesn’t get her next year.

Anthony finished kindergarten. It turns out the kid is crazy smart, incredibly ADHD, and a little bit lazy and stubborn (maybe more like a lot stubborn). If Nicholas doesn’t get the teacher Anthony (and Mayci) had for kindergarten I’m going to be sad because I absolutely love her. Then again, if he has the other kinder teacher we’ll have collected the whole set (when I said that once a principal said they should totally make teacher trading cards so you can collect them all).

Nicholas finished pre-k. By walker he means the way he gets home from school. I always love how little kids answer the what do you want to be when you grow up question. I’m sad that the teacher he (and Mayci and Anthony) had for pre-k is retiring this year so Joel won’t have her. The assistant principal said they hired an amazing replacement, though, and I’ll love her.

Noah has completed pre-k3. I love that he wants to be Noah when he grows up (and even very carefully spelled it out for me). He’s made amazing progress this progress this year and his teachers both said they hope to get him in their class again next year because they just love him. It’ll be nice when he’s in kindergarten and they all go to the same school and no longer have to get him on and off his bus and deal with a second elementary school, though!

And then there’s Joel who got to be the only one at home this whole school year. He got incredibly spoiled and has been my dad’s shadow (not sure who is going to miss the other more – probably my dad since Joel will be busy in school). I love that he said he wants to be a grown up when he grows up.

Pre-K Progress Reports

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Nicholas and Noah got their final pre-k progress reports last week. They both are making progress on asking questions about new concepts and things they don’t understand. They have both mastered holding a writing tool with a functional grip, identifying their name in isolation, and taking to adults at school. Noah has also mastered drawing a person with a head, body, and limbs and Nicholas is making progress on that skill. They both engage in social play with the other children. (I have actually never seen evidence that Noah holds his writing tool correctly or can draw a person and he is only semi-verbal, but they always score him very high while Nicholas’ teacher is more realistic about what the kids can do.)

Tests are Done

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The last few weeks our district has been doing STAAR, end of course, and AP testing. Adrian had one AP test (Human Geography) and one end of course (English I). He still has three more end of course tests to take over his next three years of high school (English II, Biology, and US History; he took the Algebra I end of course last year in 8th grade). Fritz had two AP tests (US History and English Language and Composition) and one end of course, his last one (US History). They had to be at their high school at 7:30 in the morning for their AP tests which meant us driving them all the way there way early in the morning, but the tests are all done and now we wait a couple months for the results. (All five end of course tests must be passed to graduate from high school here.)

Baby Beluga

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Anthony performed in the kindergarten Baby Beluga show. They sang songs complete with hand motions and were just generally adorable. Their costumes were pajamas which made it extra fun.

The decorations were very cool and made mostly with pool noodles and balloons. The kids sang so well. They really did very well!