School Stuff and A Name Game

--School Stuff: This week my students took their final Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) test for the school year. (The test is taken via computer near the end of each quarter. It is used to determine students' Lexile reading level.)

The goal for our county was to have students "gain" 75 points from their first score in October, to the score they received this week. They consider 75 points equal to one year of growth (or one reading "grade level.")

The Bad: I have 4 students' whose Lexile level dropped. (This indicates they didn't test well today, not that they are reading at a lower level.) I have 5 students who showed growth, but did not have 75 points of growth.

--The Fabulous: I had 26 of 35 students make 75+ point gains. I also had 24 students score over a 100 point gain. WAY exciting! Also exciting----6 students who gained over 200 points in their reading level, 3 students who gained over 300 points in their reading Lexile level, and 1 student who gained over 400 points in his Lexile level! YIPPEE! (He started the year at a 370 Lexile (2nd grade reading level) and is now at a 864 Lexile level (7th grade reading level.) Best of all, I have 8 students who are now considered grade level readers!! SUPER AWESOME!

--My name: I'm wondering how many readers who've never met me IRL "pronounce" my name correctly when they read it?? My entire life people have mispronounced my name. I learned long ago not to be offended by this, as there are so many different possibilities. But I am curious...

Do you think the correct pronunciation of "Alana" is:
a. Uh-lane-uh
b. Uh-lawn-uh
c. Allen-uh
d. Uh-lan-uh

Mother's Day

For the amazing women I've met the past several weeks who have accepted me into the IF community. Happy Mother's Day! To those whose children are no longer with them....to those who long for a child of their own....to those like me who have 1 or more children, but are longing for at least 1 more, may today be a reminder of the hope that surrounds our community. I'm thinking of you all today!

On a brighter note, this is a fun video that a few friends emailed me...

http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/?nid=Nz8NeoVjKrg1Aqe39rqPEzIwNjg0OA--&referred_by=5300419-w9XmDnx&p=moveon

Show and Tell---Wicked

Last night, DH and I had our first "date night" in several months. We dropped Em off at DH's parents' house in the late afternoon. She spent the night with Nana and Papa while DH and I went out to dinner (at the Outback---yummy!) We then went to see the musical, Wicked. I LOVE Wicked---I enjoyed the book (mostly), love the music, and saw the musical in Ohio with my sister last summer (Thanks, Lal!) We were worried because sometimes the theater opportunities here in Jacksonville aren't all that great. (We saw Phantom of the Opera a few years ago and it was awful!!) We ended up being very pleasantly surprised...the lead singer who played Elphaba was very good. The orchestra was super. The set was spot-on to the high quality I had seen in Columbus last year. Great show! Great time! Yea!

Pics from my cell phone are below...


While waiting in the lobby of the theater, we had fun entertaining ourselves with the attire of others. I pretended I was texting, when I snapped the photo of the hooker lady with a very short dress above. She kept tugging the dress down, because with each step she took it would ride up even HIGHER than in this photo. I commented to DH that I didn't know how she was going to sit down without exposing herself. Ick!

My favorite was a woman who was wearing a tight black long sleeve dress. She had a floral BIKINI top OVER the dress, and a matching floral skirt ON TOP of the dress. WHAT the heck? As DH said, "I just couldn't decide if I was going to go to the beach, or the theater." I tried to get her pic, but it didn't work. Rats!



There are many lovely artistic pieces throughout the theater lobby area. DH made me giggle when he said the sculpture above reminded him of "Han Solo in carbonite." Hehee!



Self portrait after we were seated and waiting for the show to begin.


My sweet DH. Is he a charmer or what? :)


Me with playbill. We had a great time!

To see what the rest of the class brought for Show & Tell this week, head on over to Mel's Blog.

Ruminating

Nothing really new going on...just some things I've been ruminating about lately.

--Allergies--My newly diagnosed Hay Fever is kicking my butt! I am thrilled that I don't have a throbbing headache as I did most of the weekend. However, I have a scratchy throat and mild congestion. Mostly, I am just SOOOO TIRED. The Zyrtec is helping, but it makes me so very sleepy. Seriously... I can't believe how wiped out I am. The doctor gave me a narcotic to take "as needed for pain," but of course one of it's side effects is drowsiness, so I haven't taken any since I was off school on Monday.

--Teacher--There is a teacher from my school who is in a chemical induced coma after suffering brain damage after having multiple seizures over the weekend. (Cause of seizures is unknown.) She's a cancer survivor in her young 40's, with a son who attends 7th grade at my school. It is just so heartbreaking...the email my principal sent to the faculty made it sound as though her husband doesn't expect her to live through the week. Makes me remember to be grateful for each day....
--She was the co-teacher/inclusion teacher many of my students had when they were in 7th grade last year. Thus, it's been a difficult week helping the students to cope.

--Home--DH and I are going on our first date night since my parents were here in November! Yea! We're going to dinner and to see the musical "Wicked" this weekend. I'm really looking forward to it. :)

--Emmaism-- Emma has been very into spelling lately. Especially opposites yes/no, in/out, open/closed, etc. Yesterday we were riding in the car and she said, "Mommy what does WEJZ spell?" She became upset when I told her it doesn't spell anything. "Yes it does! It's always in your car! You know, 96.1 WEJZ."

Heheeee. Go my little speller!

Verifklaoputf8iowkemph

Verifklaoputf8iowkemph. That's how I've been feeling lately.

Saturday: Went to the neat "World of Nations" event downtown with Em. Had a great time. Started to feel headachey and "bleck" by end of day. Went to bed at 9:30ish. Crashed hard. Hubby ended up sleeping on futon after my loud breathing (he said it was "raspy" and "slobbery" breathing more than actual snoring...) woke him. (Sorry, DH!) At least I'll have cool pics for Show & Tell next week.

Sunday: Slept until 8:40 a.m. (Em actually slept in!) Felt like I was run over by a semi truck. Head throbs, throat aches, guess I'll go back to bed. Wait! I'm already there...Stayed in bed all day and slept, slept, slept. After some book reading and movie watching went to sleep for the night around 9:30 again.

Awoken at midnight by Emma whimpering in the living room. Poor baby...throwing up all over the place. Rushed her to the bathroom, pulled her hair back, rubbed her back as she threw up some more...

...rubbed her back as she went back to bed. Went to clean vomit on carpet in living room, only to discover dog had already "cleaned" it all for me. Thanks, Viggo. Big EWW!

Monday: Em and I stayed home from school today. I felt yuck much of the morning, though not as incoherent as on Sunday. Tried to rest. Em played and giggled and laughed, sang, yelled, watched TV, ran around, etc. Sighs! Em has no fever and seems fine all day....she probably could've gone to school while I got some rest. Oh well.

Late morning went to Urgent Care. In and out in less than an hour....with Emma in tow. Sweet!
LOVE the Urgent Care center.

Diagnosis: Hay Fever. WHAT?!? Not strep, not Swine Flu...Hay Fever knocked me on my arse for 2 1/2 days. Some Zyrtec and nasal spray later....tired, but feeling "normal" again. I'm not typically an allergy girl...but apparently the pollen and "spring" got to me when we were at the World of Nations festival this weekend. Weird.

Tuesday: 12:18 a.m. Em just woke me with loud crying. Crap! Did she vomit again? I didn't prepare for a sub at school if I have to take off another day. Whew! Everything's okay....she fell out of bed, but isn't hurt.

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming....