There aren't too many places where you can get away with acting like a nut and receive applause after(OK maybe politics). Drama class seems to be the perfect spot for this. Today Grace and her group had to perform two scenes for the class. In one she was a sweet, ok maybe irritating, pink unicorn on her way to candy mountain. She should have performed this scene a couple of weeks ago, but different circumstances kept holding up her group. She has been going over her lines for days & days!!! She was sure she would get too nervous and speed through them too fast, but she did them exactly the way she'd practiced.
In the other scene she was a ravenous zombie, chasing her victims across the room. She has a nice zombie growl by the way. The best part of the scene was the end ( NO they weren't that bad LOL) the zombie is finally shot and Grace quietly said "Ow"......... the Ow sounded more like the Ow a little pink unicorn would mutter.
Not sure what today's scene will be, just glad she isn't falling apart every time she has to perform!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Every Inchie Monday :Winged
It's Monday yet again. This Monday's Inchie theme is Winged. I've taken a peek at a few of the fabulous inchies and am very impressed. Mine was forgotten until late last night. I knew I wouldn't have time today. Monday's are always crazy days at school. Just trying to figure out how to get Grace caught up in Math & English seem to take up our time after school. There seems to be something in the air that is making breathing difficult for her. But she's a tough kid, she'll get all that work done eventually.
Here's my winged inchie....... enjoy your Monday!!
Here's my winged inchie....... enjoy your Monday!!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
That Time
Seems to be that time of year when Grace just doesn't feel her best. I don't know if it's the rain we've had or if it's allergies as all the almond blossoms have bloomed. She just feels like she's trying to catch a cold and has a sore throat. Mostly she's tired. Just can't force her to go to school when she's like this, I know her immunities are low and most people go to school when they're sick, can't expose her to too much.
On the other hand she can't live in a bubble. I always believed kids should get dirty, run barefoot,( or roll in her case :)catch a little bug now and then. Unfortunately when you have breathing problems a little bug can morph into pneumonia before you know it. Grace knows her body so well, that she usually knows when she should see the doctor. She's prone to ear infections, but has never had an ear ache from them, we just figure it out because it causes a fever or she just doesn't feel right.
Anyway I do ramble! I talked to her school counselor today to see what we can do to keep her up in geometry, she's missed about a week of classes because she's gone to school late on the days she has gone. I think we've figured out a plan and need to see if it'll work. She'll sleep late ( mornings are the hardest for her) go for a 1/2 day and then go to the after-school math class for help with what she doesn't understand. Hopefully she can catch up and when she's feeling better she can go back to her regular schedule. If she misses her first 3 classes it shouldn't be too hard for her, she has photography and yearbook, the teacher in those classes will give her alternate assignments she can work on from home. Most of her other classes won't be as hard to catch up in as long as her teachers are patient. It's just math that's difficult and although I'm at school with her I don't always learn the math like she does. Just not my subject. So that's where we are this week. Always something to figure out. I'm thankful for a flexible school staff :)
On the other hand she can't live in a bubble. I always believed kids should get dirty, run barefoot,( or roll in her case :)catch a little bug now and then. Unfortunately when you have breathing problems a little bug can morph into pneumonia before you know it. Grace knows her body so well, that she usually knows when she should see the doctor. She's prone to ear infections, but has never had an ear ache from them, we just figure it out because it causes a fever or she just doesn't feel right.
Anyway I do ramble! I talked to her school counselor today to see what we can do to keep her up in geometry, she's missed about a week of classes because she's gone to school late on the days she has gone. I think we've figured out a plan and need to see if it'll work. She'll sleep late ( mornings are the hardest for her) go for a 1/2 day and then go to the after-school math class for help with what she doesn't understand. Hopefully she can catch up and when she's feeling better she can go back to her regular schedule. If she misses her first 3 classes it shouldn't be too hard for her, she has photography and yearbook, the teacher in those classes will give her alternate assignments she can work on from home. Most of her other classes won't be as hard to catch up in as long as her teachers are patient. It's just math that's difficult and although I'm at school with her I don't always learn the math like she does. Just not my subject. So that's where we are this week. Always something to figure out. I'm thankful for a flexible school staff :)
Monday, March 21, 2011
Monday
Well, I'm home today with a sick family. Husband and daughter feeling blaahhh. Thankfully I had some time to work on my Inchie yesterday. We focused on rhythm this week. My photo isn't the greatest, sorry for that. I used some old sheet music that I painted and layered. When I took the picture this morning I noticed that my dancing foot only has four toes!! I always thought I had two left feet, maybe the absence of that 5th toe explains a thing or two. It might even explain why I spelled rhythm with a little hum in it well, everyone needs to hum now & then.Happy Monday!!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
What are they thinking?
So a group of band/choir/drama class kids go to Disneyland to preform and have a good time every year from the high school. Apparently after returning home it was discovered that some students had a little more fun than they were supposed to. Seems there was some alcohol involved and some students are spending a few days at home thinking about it. I overheard snippets today and finally figured out what some kids were talking about.
Seems they don't have much faith in the quality of drug sniffing dogs that the school uses. Every now and then there are unannounced visits and an officer and dog will show up in a classroom and everyone leaves their things in the room and exits. The dog takes a trot through the room sniffing backpacks and jackets. Well, there are always a few Nervous Nellies while this takes place. But as the students advance in grade they aren't so nervous. Guess the school potheads brag so much about not getting caught that they think the dog is a fake.
This is probably how the alcohol incident managed to happen on this trip. Don't know how things were found out, just amazed at the brazenness of some kids.
Seems they don't have much faith in the quality of drug sniffing dogs that the school uses. Every now and then there are unannounced visits and an officer and dog will show up in a classroom and everyone leaves their things in the room and exits. The dog takes a trot through the room sniffing backpacks and jackets. Well, there are always a few Nervous Nellies while this takes place. But as the students advance in grade they aren't so nervous. Guess the school potheads brag so much about not getting caught that they think the dog is a fake.
This is probably how the alcohol incident managed to happen on this trip. Don't know how things were found out, just amazed at the brazenness of some kids.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Inchie Tuesday?
Opps, I forgot to post my inchie yesterday........I'm thinking maybe it's Monday somewhere. This weeks topic was "Endless". After the weekend we had I should have made something that related to homework. But I also worked on our taxes and unfortunately taxes won out. I used an old receipt for my background and played a bit with my new colormists from http://www.outsidethemargins.com/. Just had to liven up the dreaded taxes somehow. Remember to take a look at all the creative inchies on the inchie blog. There are some great ones this week as always.
Friday, March 11, 2011
my rant for the day
Well, I must say that I'm glad that crazy week is over. In my opinion the exit exams for high school are a huge joke. What a waste of money for a state that is near bankruptcy. The test was relatively easy. Some reading and questions to answer about what you read. Write a persuasive essay. Not too difficult, I could see that it might be hard if writing isn't something you enjoy, but really not too hard. The next day was the dreaded math portion. I really don't think Grace did too badly on it. May have been a couple questions she didn't understand, they were algebra questions and she had missed a huge part of the school both years she took algebra ( 8th & 9th grades), but other than those it was easy. There was actually a question that I'm sure most 3rd grade students would have laughed at. To top it all off you don't even have to score a 70% to pass? What's the point?
I just don't understand why they take an exam that is called an "exit exam" yet you take it 2 years before you plan to exit. You get several more tries just in case you need them, but I think 7 is a bit excessive. If you can meet the requirements to graduate you have far exceeded what is covered on the exam.
Just a huge waste of tax payer money, someone had to write those tests, print them, distribute them, probably training on how to give the tests, they have to be sent somewhere to score them, then mail results to homes and schools. Not to mention the waste of time, and not only the class time of those testing, but also those others in classes that have more sophomores than other grade levels. Doesn't make much sense to teach on test day when you're going to have to re-teach when testing is over. I just think that in the days of huge teacher lay-offs our $$ should be going toward something more important than useless tests. I'll climb off my soapbox now.
I just don't understand why they take an exam that is called an "exit exam" yet you take it 2 years before you plan to exit. You get several more tries just in case you need them, but I think 7 is a bit excessive. If you can meet the requirements to graduate you have far exceeded what is covered on the exam.
Just a huge waste of tax payer money, someone had to write those tests, print them, distribute them, probably training on how to give the tests, they have to be sent somewhere to score them, then mail results to homes and schools. Not to mention the waste of time, and not only the class time of those testing, but also those others in classes that have more sophomores than other grade levels. Doesn't make much sense to teach on test day when you're going to have to re-teach when testing is over. I just think that in the days of huge teacher lay-offs our $$ should be going toward something more important than useless tests. I'll climb off my soapbox now.
Monday, March 7, 2011
exit exams
In our state high school sophomores have their first opportunity to take the high school exit exam. Tomorrow is the first time Grace's class will have to take the test. They start with the English exam which shouldn't be a problem for Grace English comprehension has always been a strong subject for her. Wednesday is the math section, I think she'll do ok, but she's so nervous about it. Anytime she hears math and test together in a sentence she freaks out. All I can tell her is if she blows it there are always more opportunities to take it. How hard can it be to retake a test till you pass? She's a much better student than she gives herself credit for. Just praying for calm nerves and confidence. And thankful it's not my test to take :)
Dance Inchie Dance
Inchie day....Today's topic is dance.. I think of many things when I think of dancing. I'm not much of a dancer myself, but I met my husband while out dancing. I loved to dance with the preschoolers I taught for so many years. I was even dorky enough to enjoy that weird square dance thing they forced us to do at 6th grade camp. For some reason I thought of a little ladybug dancing in it's own little world. Maybe we all need a little dance in our lives now and then.
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