Long Past Due Update

So I'm not as good at this blog thing as I thought, but after reading my cousin's comment on the last blog entry I figured it was time for an update....a few things have happened since :)

First of all we are still in school...the kids miss having Spring Break at this time of the year...whereas this year ours isn't until the 23rd....they are antzy....11 weeks in a row is a long time!!

Lots of projects right now. We are in the middle of our Solar System unit, we just finished up ISTEP (more on that later), just finished the book Chocolate Fever, and are working on a set of directions in writing!

ISTEP last week was a struggle for not just the kids but me too!! It was very frustrating as a teacher watching some of my top students literally break down crying, punch their test book, and just get so angry because they didn't even understand what the question as asking!! The ISTEP this year was definitely NOTHING like the ones that the 5th graders even took in the fall...it was a mess!! The questions were often worded so the text was not even at a 4th grade level, if the kids couldn't understand the question then was it really testing their math skills?? Many of the questions were cumulative so if they got one part wrong they were pretty much screwed for the rest, and several of the problems were not based on one standard but several rolled into one...so it really wasn't testing their math standards....beacuase if they got it wrong we can't distingush between whether it was the area they didn't understand, the multiplication, the story problem and whether to add it subtract, or reading a chart. All in one question....Anyways enough about that!

On the coaching front, I went into interview with the AD Mr. Miller and the Varsity Coach Chad Thomas....after erading my golf experience and resume with wins and such they were excited I wanted to do it! So we had the call out meeting after school today (23 middle schoolers) and our first practice is after school the day we get back from Spring Break! I'm excited!

Matt is almost done with wrestling....next Tuesday is their last meet. I think he is very excited!!

I'm fighting a cold that is going around.....more of a pain then anything. Hopefully it will be gone soon!!

Our furbabies are still doing great....Allie and Lizzie are my lovers...Tyson is a pain in the neck but I guess I'll have to get use to it...I hear children are the same way....You treat them all the same, but 1 likes to me the troublemaker.....thats Tyson for sure!!

I guess that is it for now!! Hope everyone is enjoying the springlike weather!!