Sunday, September 11, 2016
Sunday, August 28, 2016
7th Grade, Middle School and a new start.
My kiddo started middle school on August 18th. She has tutoring first thing of the day. She'll be toggling grading periods between math tutoring and reading tutoring. Am I sad that she qualified for tutoring in both areas? No. I'll tell you why. The math is a given. Girlie has needed math help since they started math in 1st grade. What about reading? Well, she reads all the time. The previous district had them read not for content but to read. They read to memorize, but truly taking in stories in full wasn't something that they pressed. Kids were given spelling lists to memorize but not given lessons to know that which they were spelling.
All that caught up to K last year.
Memorizing spelling is fantastic except when parts of speech, antonyms/synonyms, definitions and ability to effectively use the word came into play. This bit her firmly in the behind.
So, she reads. Kiddo probably reads more than most kids you know. She needs help with upping her game with vocabulary. I'm glad that they saw this need and that they are willing to attend to it with her. Her previous school district did not do this. Frankly, they didn't care.
We went to open house the other night. The open house was very well attended. So well attended was this open house that they have to split it into two nights. 7th one night and 8th the other. Parents are supportive. Teachers are HAPPY to be there. Parents are kind. They don't deny that their children may have a deficit. "Let's work together to fix this." It is amazing. K's previous district had disrespectful parents running amok and blaming all of the teachers for their children's deficits.
Not everyone will have the valedictorian student in their home. That's okay. Not every student will make perfect grades, perfect strides or perfect choices. That's okay. The task at hand is to work together as a team to work through these things. I'm thankful that we're afforded the opportunity to have K attend a district that is lightyears ahead of her home district and that they are willing to work with us to improve her schooling experiences.
The teaching team seem to be strict. That's good. They are loving, but they are trying to stand on these kiddos to get them prepared. Expectations have been laid out and are CLEAR! This is the first time she's ever received syllabus' (or syllabi?) explaining what should be expected from both sides. GRAND!
There are lockers and locks, changing for gym and navigating school halls with the expectation to be on time to class. There are notebooks and organizational quizzes, writing and parental editing every evening, accountability and expectations.
We're good with all of that. We're good to have a staff expect great and wonderful things from our daughter. A new school year is in session. :smile:
All that caught up to K last year.
Memorizing spelling is fantastic except when parts of speech, antonyms/synonyms, definitions and ability to effectively use the word came into play. This bit her firmly in the behind.
So, she reads. Kiddo probably reads more than most kids you know. She needs help with upping her game with vocabulary. I'm glad that they saw this need and that they are willing to attend to it with her. Her previous school district did not do this. Frankly, they didn't care.
We went to open house the other night. The open house was very well attended. So well attended was this open house that they have to split it into two nights. 7th one night and 8th the other. Parents are supportive. Teachers are HAPPY to be there. Parents are kind. They don't deny that their children may have a deficit. "Let's work together to fix this." It is amazing. K's previous district had disrespectful parents running amok and blaming all of the teachers for their children's deficits.
Not everyone will have the valedictorian student in their home. That's okay. Not every student will make perfect grades, perfect strides or perfect choices. That's okay. The task at hand is to work together as a team to work through these things. I'm thankful that we're afforded the opportunity to have K attend a district that is lightyears ahead of her home district and that they are willing to work with us to improve her schooling experiences.
The teaching team seem to be strict. That's good. They are loving, but they are trying to stand on these kiddos to get them prepared. Expectations have been laid out and are CLEAR! This is the first time she's ever received syllabus' (or syllabi?) explaining what should be expected from both sides. GRAND!
There are lockers and locks, changing for gym and navigating school halls with the expectation to be on time to class. There are notebooks and organizational quizzes, writing and parental editing every evening, accountability and expectations.
We're good with all of that. We're good to have a staff expect great and wonderful things from our daughter. A new school year is in session. :smile:
Monday, July 4, 2016
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Zillow and The Lumineers: Did Zillow listen to the lyrics?
I'll say from the very beginning that I love The Lumineers. M bought me Cleopatra, the special splatter version, the day before it was actually on sale. I would see them if they came anywhere remotely within reason. Love them.
I was surprised when I was toodling around the bedroom, folding clothes and the Zillow commercial came on. A familiar tune came on. I love the song Sick In The Head, but I also know that I have to pull it from my iTunes selections to play at work. You see, they drop the f word.
As the song plays along and as people are considering purchasing houses, the words go through my mind:
People say I'm no good
Write me off, oh yes they should
F%$# 'em they're just sick in the head
They're writing my history
Think somebody should've asked me
Everyone was safe in their beds
Their beds
And I said
I won't live, won't live like them
Everyone, they're all seeing red
I don't know
If it's alright with you, but I'll be gone
A ghost will be here in my stead, my stead
And I said
I can't live life underneath it all
Everyone is older now and gone
I will not be here forever dear
So let's just make this count a lot in here
People say I'm no good
Just wondered. Zillow, did you consider the viewers that may know the lyrics?
I was surprised when I was toodling around the bedroom, folding clothes and the Zillow commercial came on. A familiar tune came on. I love the song Sick In The Head, but I also know that I have to pull it from my iTunes selections to play at work. You see, they drop the f word.
As the song plays along and as people are considering purchasing houses, the words go through my mind:
People say I'm no good
Write me off, oh yes they should
F%$# 'em they're just sick in the head
They're writing my history
Think somebody should've asked me
Everyone was safe in their beds
Their beds
And I said
I won't live, won't live like them
Everyone, they're all seeing red
I don't know
If it's alright with you, but I'll be gone
A ghost will be here in my stead, my stead
And I said
I can't live life underneath it all
Everyone is older now and gone
I will not be here forever dear
So let's just make this count a lot in here
People say I'm no good
Just wondered. Zillow, did you consider the viewers that may know the lyrics?
Friday, May 20, 2016
Take care of yourself . . .
It's been a while. My apologies. I admit that I've been spinning in other lands and well, ye ole blog has gotten ignored. However, I come to you with a very important PSA--
Please go for your annual exams.
Oh, I'm good and up to date. My aunt, however, was not. She had not chosen to go for an annual exam since she was cleared after she had my cousin 34 years ago. Just this morning, after having been taken off life support and having been moved to hospice care, she breathed her last breath.
She died.
What did she die from? Stage 3 Uterine cancer. She could have had an exam and it would have shown.
She could have gone to the doctor when she noticed symptoms, but she chose to ignore them.
When you go through menopause, you shouldn't ever have bleeding occur again. If you do, something is wrong. She ignored it despite having that happen. I'm thankful that my mom didn't ignore that when it happened to her. She had a hysterectomy, no ill effects and she is well. She is well because she listened to her body.
She was about my build-- 5'1" and about 140ish. She lost 80 pounds. She was losing her hair. She couldn't stand up straight. She was in incredible pain. She took so much Advil that she ulcerated and consequently that perforated her stomach and colon. The tumor that they removed was the size of a football. It was so large and pressing so hard on her spine that she had an incredible bruise across her back.
She went into the hospital almost against her will on April 19. She masked symptoms. She was in SICU the entire time. She had 3 major procedures in about 24 hours time and several procedures after that.
She had gone jaundiced. That was getting worse.
I asked the nurse last week, "Is this as good as it gets?" She didn't know. We knew that she hadn't chosen life for herself. We don't quite know why. At 59, she had so very much to live for.
She has left behind two children, ages 34 and 39. She has left behind two grandchildren and two step grandchildren.
Her children are now orphans. Their dad died as a result of a car accident when Heather was 11 and Bill was 6.
What devastating loss for them. While she was not particularly close with our family any longer, we never shunned her from the family. We never ignored her if she was around. She remarried and chose to basically distance herself from the family.
I still sent her a Christmas card every year. I didn't want her to think that we forgot about her.
So please, I know that it is not the most pleasant exam of our year. Please. Go forth and have your exams. Please don't ignore symptoms. Please take care of you.
Please go for your annual exams.
Oh, I'm good and up to date. My aunt, however, was not. She had not chosen to go for an annual exam since she was cleared after she had my cousin 34 years ago. Just this morning, after having been taken off life support and having been moved to hospice care, she breathed her last breath.
She died.
What did she die from? Stage 3 Uterine cancer. She could have had an exam and it would have shown.
She could have gone to the doctor when she noticed symptoms, but she chose to ignore them.
When you go through menopause, you shouldn't ever have bleeding occur again. If you do, something is wrong. She ignored it despite having that happen. I'm thankful that my mom didn't ignore that when it happened to her. She had a hysterectomy, no ill effects and she is well. She is well because she listened to her body.
She was about my build-- 5'1" and about 140ish. She lost 80 pounds. She was losing her hair. She couldn't stand up straight. She was in incredible pain. She took so much Advil that she ulcerated and consequently that perforated her stomach and colon. The tumor that they removed was the size of a football. It was so large and pressing so hard on her spine that she had an incredible bruise across her back.
She went into the hospital almost against her will on April 19. She masked symptoms. She was in SICU the entire time. She had 3 major procedures in about 24 hours time and several procedures after that.
She had gone jaundiced. That was getting worse.
I asked the nurse last week, "Is this as good as it gets?" She didn't know. We knew that she hadn't chosen life for herself. We don't quite know why. At 59, she had so very much to live for.
She has left behind two children, ages 34 and 39. She has left behind two grandchildren and two step grandchildren.
Her children are now orphans. Their dad died as a result of a car accident when Heather was 11 and Bill was 6.
What devastating loss for them. While she was not particularly close with our family any longer, we never shunned her from the family. We never ignored her if she was around. She remarried and chose to basically distance herself from the family.
I still sent her a Christmas card every year. I didn't want her to think that we forgot about her.
So please, I know that it is not the most pleasant exam of our year. Please. Go forth and have your exams. Please don't ignore symptoms. Please take care of you.
Thursday, January 7, 2016
The Empowerment Plan Coat- Warmest Winter 2016
The Empowerment Plan Coat
- The Empowerment Plan can produce 1,000 coats on a budget of $100,000. Our studies show that for each 1,000 coats distributed, we can save 14 lives. Each year approximately 7% of homeless individuals die from hypothermia. Our coat reduces this statistic by over 20%.
- It costs $100 to sponsor a coat, which covers the cost of labor, materials, and overhead expenses.
- While these coats will save lives this winter, our ultimate partnership goal is to bring an Empowerment Plan factory to Chicago.
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