School work

I'm behind on a lot of things - and being sidelined all last week with the flu didn't help. (As an aside, let me say that I'd never had the "real" flu before ... and it was terrible. I'll be getting my first-ever flu shot next season!)

Last month, Maggie received an Accelerated Reading award for meeting her first goal. Students read AR books and take computer quizzes on them; successful quizzes are worth points (points vary according to the difficulty of the book), and points accumulate throughout the school year. Students are given a points goal which they're supposed to meet within each 9-week grading period. (I think older students have some input on the goal-setting process, but young ones are assigned a goal.) Maggie had her first-ever AR goal during the second 9-week grading period, and she surpassed it! Her goal was 8 points; most of the quizzes she takes are worth .5 points, though she did take a few 1-pointers as well. I think she ended the term with 12+ points.

AR winners are recognized at the first school-wide Circle Time of 2011.

I'm impressed at the reading Maggie's doing in school. I think I've mentioned before that she goes to first grade for reading class, and there she is in the highest skill group (reading the most advanced material). Her official reading level is 3.5 - akin to the fifth month of third grade - and she is with 2-3 other first-graders who are reading at a similar level. During December, they read the book Junie B. Jones Shipwrecked, and they just finished Flat Stanley.

Along with the reading, they're having to put their thoughts into writing. Here are some examples of classwork that she's done:

Junie B. "report" title page

Junie B. - reporting on her favorite part. (My scanner cut off her G in doing.)

Flat Stanley quiz

The students are sending Flat Stanleys of their own around the world - Maggie's is going to visit my friends who run the beautiful Belgravia Bed & Breakfast in Truro, Nova Scotia. We can't wait to see what fun Stanley will have with our Canadian friends! We also have a second Stanley who will live at our home during the next month; in March Maggie will put together a presentation about Stanley's Canadian and Chattanooga adventures. I think local Stanley's first stop is going to be the spectator area at a local Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build site. Maybe we'll luck out and get a picture with one of the show's stars!!