Harry Potter

We saw the latest Harry Potter movie. It is filled with lots of action and suspense. I think the three main actors are much better than when they first started making the movies. There is one scene that could have been left out. I actually groaned when it came on. I don’t think that was the reaction the director was going for. This movie is too scary for young children, but teenagers will like it. Now there is only one more movie left.

A Change is as Good as a Rest

This past week has been Thanksgiving break. I feel that I have had a week of Saturdays. I rested, watched movies, read, played scrabble, organized, and visited with family. We heard from all of our children on Thanksgiving Day, and Grandma Bonnie spent 4 days with us. It was been a very nice change. I am so rested that I actually thought about exercising this morning, and I ate a healthy breakfast of fresh fruit and oatmeal. I am ready to return to work.

Accomplish the Dream

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I watched this on the Today Show, and I found it very inspiring. Please forgive the short commercial at the beginning. This is great!

Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving. I am thankful for many things. I am thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am thankful for my amazing family. I am thankful to live in this country. I am thankful to have a job. I am thankful for faith, hope, and charity.

The Lost Hero

I have finished reading The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan. It was a good book. If you liked the Percy Jackson series, I think you will like this one. It is set in the world of Percy Jackson. He does not show up in book 1, but they talk about him. I think Percy will be in book 2. I liked returning to Camp Half-Blood, and reading about familiar characters again. The next book is due to be published in the fall of 2011.

Thanksgiving Break

Yahoo!



There is no school Next week!

 I assessed the reading level of one of my students today. Previous testing showed that he was below grade level for reading.  He tested in a quiet room with no distractions. He has AD/HD and everything distracts him. He tested at grade level. This is great news! I think he tested so well because there was nothing to pull his attention away. He is not a behavior problem in class. His attention just drifts away. Often students with AD/HD are late bloomers. I think this student has started to bloom.

Congratulations Isaac!

 Isaac’s ACT results arrived in the mail today. He earned a score of 20, which is what he needs to get into BYU-Idaho. This is miraculous considering he had a migraine and felt physically ill during the entire test. Way to go Isaac!

The Next Generation

Today I had an IEP (Individual Education Plan) Meeting for one of my students before school. The little boy came with his dad, and they were very prompt. It was a very pleasant meeting. This student is a hard worker. He has been taught to work by his parents. His dad talked about how his son helps in the family business, and how he tells him he is a good example for his brothers. This student is the oldest of four children. I love to work with students that have a good work ethic, and don’t give up.

During our meeting the dad shared that he had graduated from Oceanside High School in 1996. That is only two years before Margot graduated. I am the age to be a grandparent to my students. I have often thought of this job as being a mom. I ask about their homework, and I try to teach them to be accountable for their learning. I guess I need to shift my thinking a generation, and think of myself as the grandma.

Listening

During Primary yesterday I was able to sit and enjoy the Sharing Time presentation. The door to Primary had been propped open letting the beautiful sunshine in. I can’t remember the door being kept open before. I placed my chair by the open door and enjoyed the outside air. As I sat there I heard someone calling my name. I looked around and found a sister standing by her car and gesturing to me. I walked outside to see what she wanted. She spoke very softly. I am surprised that I had heard her from the open door. This was our ward Relief Society Secretary. She was trying to get her attendance binders to church. She whispered that she had Strep throat, and didn’t want to come inside. She asked me to deliver her binders to the Relief Society President.

Later I sent her an email letting her know that the binders had reached their destination. She shared that she had driven around the parking lot hoping to spot someone that could help her, and she was about to give up when she saw the open door to Primary. I am glad that I was able to help. I am glad that the door was left open, even though I can’t remember this having been done before. I am glad that I thought to sit by the door. Many things just seemed to line up. Was all of this just a coincidence? I pray daily that I will be of service to those around me. I think this was an answer to my pray.

Winnie-the-Pooh

When I was getting my Special Education credential at Cal State San Marcos, I did a report on AD/HD. One of the resources I used compared AD/HD to the characters from Winnie-the-Pooh. The typical impression of AD/HD behavior is to think about Tigger. I call it the “Bounce off the wall” type of behavior. This type is usually identified by 6-years-old. The quiet type is often missed altogether. Many of my current students have the quiet type of AD/HD. Here is a list of each type of AD/HD and their Winnie-the-Pooh character. The last one does not have a character from Winnie-the-Pooh, but I think there are many people in prison that would fit this criteria.
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Winnie-the-Pooh

Inattentive, distractible, disorganized, friendly,

“Space Cadet”

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Tigger

Inattentive, impulsive,

hyperactive, restless, bouncy

  

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Eeyore

Inattentive with

chronic low depression

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Piglet

Difficulty shifting attention,

excessive worry, easily startled.

   

Rabbit

Difficulty shifting attention,

inflexible, argumentative



Troubled Type

 Irritable, aggressive, impulsive,

defiant, disobedient, learning problems



Veteran’s Day

Yesterday at school there was a very special broadcast. One of our custodians is a retired gunnery sergeant from the Marines. He dressed in uniform with its many decorations and medals, and he gave a very heartfelt speech about serving our country. The background was filled with patriotic music, and the American Flag. Then he read the names of people at school who at served in the military along with the names of relatives of staff members who have served. It was an impressive list. Amanda and Ian were both recognized, and each time I told my students they belonged to my family. My assistant was a sergeant in the Marines, and she too was recognized. One of our staff members is a retired Major from the Army. She was stationed at Hickam Air Force Base for a time. The students cheered and clapped, and my assistant and I wiped tears from our eyes. I think my students actually felt the stirrings of patriotism today.

Four Day Weekend!

Yipee!














There is no School Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Parent/Teacher Conferences—Day 2

 I only had two conferences to attend today, and one of my boys stayed to work on his Social Studies spiral. I helped him, and attended the two conferences. It was nice having had two minimum days in a row, and tomorrow will be an early release day. On minimum days the students leave by noon, and on early release days they leave by 2:20pm. It is a light week.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

We had conferences today. I don’t usually request these, but I try to attend any that involve my students. I noticed that some would need translators, and I asked Marc to come to my school at 4:00pm to help. The students went home at noon, and the conferences were scheduled through 5:30pm. Marc translated for two conferences that didn’t involve me, but were for teachers that I work with. They were very grateful to get his help. At 5:30pm I had an IEP for my “little gangster” student. His behavior is out of control. This is the student that looks like he is 8-years-old. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the meeting went. Everyone showed up, the mom was open to our ideas, and a Behavior Support Plan (BSP) was agreed upon. This was the meeting that I needed Marc to translate for. It was after 7:00pm before we got home. It was a long day, but it was a good day.

Fair

Sometimes we lend a helping hand,
And sometimes we need a hand.

Life isn’t fair, but you can be.

What’s Wrong with This Picture?

The school I work at used to be the happiest, highest achieving middle school in the district. The lowest and scariest middle school was across town. It seems we have switched places. Our school still has the highest API, but I think that will drop this year. The school across town has a very strong administration that has made sure that the students and staff feel safe.

At our school teachers are actually hiring other teachers to do their rotation of duty supervision because they are afraid of the students. We have an 11-step process we are to go through before the administration deals with disciplinary problems. Some other things need to be taken into consideration. The happy school has about 600 students, and we have about 1300. We no longer have campus security. Our campus security now works at the happy school. The teachers at our school do not feel supported by the administration; they feel neglected.

Another part of the problem is that our district is a low achieving district, and so the state has put sanctions on the entire district. In an attempt to fix the problems for the district, our school is being pulled down to those standards. Instead of fixing us, they are breaking us. The saying, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” really applies here. The result of these interventions is an unhappy school. I think our school would be much happier if the welfare of the students and staff were a priority instead of state testing. Did I forget to mention that? All of these sanctions are being done in an attempt to raise testing scores. The lack of discipline is a result of the district saying too many students were being suspended and expelled. The district is given money based on daily attendance. Money and test scores are the priority in this school district. What’s wrong with this picture? Something doesn’t add up.

The Election

We all voted yesterday. It was the first election Paige and Isaac have voted in. Not all of my choices met with success, but some did. Proposition 19 failed. That would have legalized the cultivation, selling, and use of marijuana. Emily Wichmann and Janet Lacey were once again elected to the Oceanside school board. My choices for governor and Lieutenant governor won for San Diego County, but were defeated in the state. Voting is important, and I am glad that I voted.

I Can Relate

Halloween

Last night we had two groups of Trick-or-treaters come to our door. This is the least amount we have had. Perhaps people were observing the Sabbath day. That would be nice. We had candy because we wanted to be good neighbors. The ward had a Trick-or-trunk at church at Saturday night. The building was full with two wards sharing in the festivities. A good time was had by all.