All my students just finished their mandated standardized testing that assumes the state test is the only way we can determine if they are smart enough for their grade level and that their school is doing a good enough job to stay out of AYP jail. There is little human consideration given when assessing the children. For example, one of my student's dad died this year (he was also our head wrestling coach so it affected our wrestlers as well) and another became depressed when his parents divorced and yet another comes to school whenever and yet another has major test anxiety to the point he feels like throwing up but is a hard-working B student. There's nowhere to calculate that in their test.
Overall, they performed as I expected them to with few surprises except that they all said there wasn't anything that we hadn't covered. I am glad it's over and we move on to the final unit of the year -- Romeo & Juliet. It's a way to end the year with shoulders at ease and put smiles back on their faces after three straight days of state testing and two straight months of pre-testing. And smile we did. Today they got to choreograph the sword fighting scenes and they were quite entertaining. They are also catching on to the Shakespearean language and what is going on in the play. I have given them the edited version so we are not swimming through 120 pages in our textbook, but they get the main idea, the main scenes, and the chance to dabble in drama.
Speaking of Drama.... my drama kids cracked me up today. After they did their cold readings for their final performances, we played freeze-frame (Improv Game) and I laughed so hard I cried. It also helped that the weather was beautiful. Unfortunately, it looks like the yucky weather is going to roll back into town about the time I walk in the Race for the Cure event. Oh well-- at least it isn't snowing. I hope. I caught the summer bug so bad I just finished making two batches of strawberry jam.
Went out to dinner with the husband tonight and we went to Angel's in Boise again and after having such an awesome lunch there a couple months ago we had high expectations. Do not eat dinner there. Opposite experience. It was 52 minutes before we even got our salad. Then it had the cheapo (iceberg) lettuce in it (including yellowing pieces) and the tomatoes were ONE tomato slice. The house salad was $6. I also had a bowl of their clam chowder that was SO good last time and it burnt my nose hairs. I asked the waiter if it had wine in it and he said "no" indignantly, but that he'd ask to make sure. Why, he was so surprised when he found out I was right, but reminded me that it cooks out. Okay..... well I wanted to taste clam-- not wine. Then the husband had a meal that was $29 and well.... it was worth about $9. Luckily we had a gift certificate because we usually don't get something expensive like that. I repeat.... I would not recommend it for dinner. The prices are much better and the food much better for lunch.
Tomorrow is Friday. I am so ready. Actually, I'm just so ready for summer that I keep expecting it to show up on the weekends. It's supposed to rain Sunday and cool back down Saturday, so I think we might have to plant the garden next weekend instead. Maybe summer will be here next weekend.
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