100 plus days

                I believe it was Thursday when the kindergarten celebrated the 100^th day of school.  They had used 100 beans to fill in the number 100 on a paper and glued their beans in place.  I wasn’t there for that part.  I saw their papers set aside to dry.

            It had rained on Sunday.  I’m assuming that the rain chased the fog away as there was none impairing my vision during yesterday’s drive.  It was cold and the sun remained hidden and so was not blinded as I approached any off the exits. 

            First class: 7^th grade math.  17 students who for the most part are respectful to the instructor and pay attention to what she is doing on the board – except for two who constantly visit.  I can’t stand between them as there are two students behind the talkers.  If I stand between them, I will block the view of the other two youth.  I stand to the side.

            Next class: 8^th grade math.  12 students.  Pre Algebra.  XY slope.  Yuck. I mostly just sit in the back of the class.

            Prep Class: teaching respect and humane concepts in addition to academics.  Last month they learned math. This month is writing. 

            After that is homeroom for 15 -20 minutes.  I just don’t get the Canyonville schedule.  What is the purpose of homeroom?  To get caught up on missing assignments.  Most of the students seem to be under the impression that it’s a time to socialize.

            Student lunch.  I have usually preferred monitoring the middle schoolers as opposed to the younger children.  Middle schoolers don’t say, “That kid pushed me/called me a name”.  But I noticed behavioral attitudes with several after the 100 days.  Coincidence?

            “No balls in the playground area.  It isn’t safe.”  “Don’t play tag near the playground equipment.  It you’re going to play tag, take it out into the grassy area.”  Do they listen?  No, they are middle schoolers and the rules don’t apply to them.

            Their lunch and recess are finally over and I get to take my lunch.

            Kindergarten:   Usually I have helped with assignments involving the letter of the day.  Yesterday was math.  New numbers introduced: 16 and 17.  Though they have been counting to the current days-in-school each day.  They have counted from 1 -100 by ones, by fives and by tens.

            2^nd grade reading: the room is so loud I can’t even hear my own group.  I wasn’t having issues with them but the teacher was.  She had reprimanded several of the students several times.  I thought my group was doing okay – except maybe one who wasn’t following directions.  She couldn’t seem to hear me.  It was loud.  I couldn’t even hear myself.

            15 minutes of recess and I’m done.  I will follow that same routine today.  But Thursday and Friday will have me at a different schedule.  I won’t be working with the middle schoolers.  I might only have to do lunch recess.  I’m not sure. 

Last Friday - Errands and Canyonville

          Summer is coming to an end and Jenna will be returning to school on Wednesday.  Her job at the blueberry patch has ended for this season.  On Friday morning Roland asked if I wanted to play a game.  It always surprises me when it is his idea.  He asked if Jenna had left the house and I said that she was still here and so he asked her to play also.

          First, we played Sequence.  Baulderdash is Roland’s favorite, but I think Sequence may be a close second.  We played two games.  I won the first and Roland won the second – but Jenna had gotten in two wins earlier in the week.  We then played a game of Blokus and then a never-ending game of Monopoly.  Neither Jenna nor I were willing to sell or trade specific properties to Roland and he was never fair about the amount anyway.  We would make jokes as we moved our pieces around the board.  It was one of the few times I have enjoyed myself while playing Monopoly

          Roland said he wanted to go to the bank and I wanted to go to the post office to mail a calendar to my sister – not that she needs a calendar this early or wouldn’t be able to purchase her own but I wanted her to have it.  Jenna and I had opened up a savings account for her and she asked if I could deposit some more money into her account.  I reminded her that we’d be going to Canyonville Pioneer Days later on.  Roland suggested that we just all go to the bank together and go to the celebration from there.          

 I knew she would be bored out of her mind and offered to let her run to the post office while I put her money in the bank.  I told her to pay the smallest amount, but she did not even ask.  She sent it priority mail which cost me more than I had anticipated.  I wish she would have handled it in a different way. Oh, well.  Kayla received the calendar on Monday. She is definitely worth the cost.

We went to the Pioneer Days in Canyonville and enjoyed ourselves. I saw a friend I had made through the school system and was able to introduce her to Roland and Jenna. It was a productive day entertainment-wise.