It is AIMS week. The much glorified testing week that somehow (wink, wink) teachers don't fret about. After all, supposedly teachers don't teach to the test but yet everything we teach must be something tied into the standards which is what we're tested on right? Also, when you teach at a high poverty school where more than 50% of the students start Kindergarten not speaking a word of English. Even if a student speaks English more than 60% of them can't read any basic sight words (i.e. and, or, the). By the time they reach me in 4th grade, they're still trying to play catch-up with where they should be. Needless to say, it is beyond difficult to retain a student. Paperwork and policies make it difficult. Especially if a student is labeled as SPED (special education). You have to have all your balls in a basket to actually get a student retained. Now, I'm not trying to say I'm for retention but if a student isn't academically ready for the next grade level and he/she will just struggle to the point of possible frustration there's no need to put a child through that torture if another year in the same grade will help allow them to get caught up and mature (often that's another issue....it seems parents like to start their child in school sooner than their maturity level is ready). Being a teacher now it puts a whole different level of appreciation for my parents delaying my start into Kindergarten since I have a late summer birthday. Yes, I did two years of Preschool instead of the usual one year (at least in those years).
Okay to back to the house: Testing week allowed for all before and after-school programs to be cancelled....this allowed for us to sleep in a little bit (since I didn't have Breakfast Club in the morning). Then after work, we would go straight to work on our house. Whoa, that's wierd...OUR HOUSE! Yes, the paperwork has been submitted to the county making this place our house.
Dereck finished the grout on the kitchen and bathroom tile floor. Then we started installing the cabinets in the kitchen:
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| The wall where the sink & dishwasher will be placed |
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| The side for the stove, fridge, & microwave. |
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| The wall where the sink & dishwasher will be placed |
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| That countertop really isn't installed yet....just resting in place so it's off the floor |
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| Janie decided to be in the picture |
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