Thursday, October 22, 2009

***Warning*** Proud Parent Alert

I titled my post in such a way in case the pride I have about my children bothers you. If it does, please stop reading right now. If you read any further, you might get the feeling that I am bragging. Probably because I am. :)

We received report cards for the 1st nine weeks of school today. And let me just say - we've got some pretty high achieving and well behaved children 'round here! Since Hayden is the firstborn and seems to get to do everything FIRST, I'll tell you about the little one first!

In the 2nd grade, our children don't receive letter grade scores, just "ratings" as follows: E = Excellent, S = Satisfactory, N = Needs Improvement and U = Unsatisfactory. Mallory received an E in both reading and math. She received an S in Writing (this is writing ability, not penmanship). Her behavior ratings were all E's and S's except for good listening habits and focuses on task - those need improvement. We've been hearing that since Kindergarten - most teachers have attributed it to her young age. But, we've made a note to work on it.

The kids also took a test called NWEA. This is where I am absolutely amazed, surprised and pleased. From the end of last year to the beginning of this year, Mallory improved her Math score from 180 to 199, her Reading score went from 173 to 195, and her Language Usage score went from 184 to 198! Those numbers are a HUGE improvement! We are so pleased with her progress. Her percentile rankings are all Hi-Average to High, compared with all students in the school district in her grade. Good job Mallory!

Now, on to our eldest. This is his first year getting letter grades (except for science and social studies, which go on the scale mentioned above). At the beginning of the school year, when he would bring home his papers, I was a little concerned that he didn't understand the numbers and how they related to his report card later, so we sat down and talked about it. Turns out, either he listened, or he knew all along! He received E's in both science and social studies. He got an A+ in spelling, and A's in math and writing (again, this is not penmanship). He received a B+ in reading, due to some quizzes that he didn't fare so well on (3 out of 4 is a 75%, you know?). Two very important things to note: his teacher commented that "Hayden is an excellent, excellent writer." That's right folks, not one, but two excellent's. He commented on how creative Hayden is and how he does a very good job telling a story - drawing the reader in and developing the plot to a climax. All mom can think is "Wow." The second thing to note is that his behavior is "Excellent in all areas." Yes, this is the same child who received so many discipline notes last year that it made my head spin (and caused me to question my abilities as a parent). Hayden's NWEA scores improved, as well, but it wasn't as dramatic an improvement as Mallory's, so I won't list the numbers here this time. Way to go, son!!

I think a little celebration is in order, don't you? Of course you do! And celebrate we will. Maybe later this weekend I will post something about our celebration. You'll just have to come back and check!

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