K's last day of school was yesterday. If you don't think that we're having what my friend refers to as a "Super Nothing Day," you have another thing coming. M has been downstairs playing guitar. K has been binging on TV. I have watched TV, read more about our loss of Chris Cornell, sent a few e-mails and watched The Village.
We needed a SND. 7th grade took everything we had.
K had projects and papers, tests and exams. This is all pretty typical. This year was her first year for exams. Prior to exams, she had two A's, three B's and one C. After exams, she had two A's, one B and three C's. You know what? That is fabulous. Exams for a kiddo who has severe test taking anxiety are pretty rough. I will give credit to her social studies teacher though. Not only did he tell the kids and parents from day one that there would be a final exam, but he had them save every paper from the entire year and helped to prepare them for their first exam.
I would love to say that the math teacher did the same, but not so much.
Mr. Math Teacher decided to tell them of the exam on 5/15. He told them that this exam would cover the entire year and it would begin on 5/17. It started on 5/16. It was a group exam and despite her being grouped with some super smart kids, their grade was a 48%, which dropped her 85.5% down to a 71.4%. Gee, Mr. Math Teacher, thanks for that kick in the gut.
She had an A or a B in math all quarter long. If she would have ended up with a D or an F for the final quarter, she wouldn't have been in trouble. Why? Because she tried her best and she could only study for what she could. You can't cram studying over an entire year just overnight.
Her social studies grade was a B, dropped less than a percentage point, but that kicked her .22% into a C. Some teachers have kicked the teetering grades up. If he doesn't, I certainly won't ague. The final report card isn't posted yet. That will be this afternoon. Still, she rocked it out. The 7th grade social studies curriculum that they used he referred to as "the equivalent of the pass/fail course of Ancient Civilizations that all of you parents may have taken in college." Sweet love, he didn't lie. I never studied the Peloponnesian War, The Roman Crusades . . . in school or in college. It was some rough stuff to wade through. Yet, as the teacher guaranteed, they would make it through.
There were nights I was up studying for tests with K until 12:30 AM. There were times I had her back up at 5:45 AM studying for the same test. John Calvin, Sir Francis Drake and others, you arrived to me in my nightmares.
Flash cards.
Chapter reviews and the 30 question kid written quiz.
Last year was rough. Super rough. Transition to a different school where the kids didn't really accept her all that well didn't go over particularly well. She found a place for herself this year. Middle school rocked for her. She participated in Solo & Ensemble, Music in the Parks and other orchestra performances this year. She participated in book club, she was a library helper, a class lunch time assistant, and though orthodontia made perfect attendance impossible-- the child never missed one single day of school this year. There were a handful of days where K was late because of bracket appointments . . . nothing we could do. (The orthodontist isn't very accommodating in regard to certain appointments. Otherwise, they are spectacular.)
K rocked it out. The year wasn't without a catch or a hitch. There were certainly times I would have loved to sling her over my shoulder and haul her to the car. (She's over 5'8" and there will be none of me doing that.) Some mornings, girlie fell a bit behind. Last week, I asked her if she thought that my car had wings because it certainly does not.
But . . . summer. :sigh: We have arrived. 😀
