Best Way to FastBridge

Upper-level FastBridge testing gets old real fast.  You have kids reading the same three stories over and over and over.  Then you ask the same questions over and over and over.  But yesterday, I got a break . . .

We have a new fifth grader who's on a five month "holiday" here in the States with her dad.  She's from Australia.  Just listening to her read "Apples", "Mark" and "Dee and Floppy" was so delightful!

Thankful Thursday!

 Some days the list of things to be thankful for grows longer and longer, like today!  At work alone, I was thankful . . . 

• That while the kinders are extremely cute and sweet, I only had to FastBridge three of them;
• That I was put into second grade MAP testing and missed out on first grade FastBridge;
• That at whole school BINGO, I was able to go with the music teacher who kept saying to our kinders, "There is no crying.  Everyone will get a prize or a 'Gotcha'", especially when Jen told me later ALL of her kinders WERE crying!
• That when Stacy called in sick and I got to take her lunch duty, I got indoor recess with kinders and NOT lunchroom duty with fourth graders!
• That when my supervisor asked me to take her lunch duty for the second day in a row, I could smile and say, "No can do.  I'm Stacy today!"
• That the fifth graders miss me!  Even though the sign says I'm testing, they still smile and wave as they walk by!
  

MAP Testing

My eyes were opened to a whole new world this week when I did second grade MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing this week.  I was giving a girl to work with one on one, not knowing when we went to my space to do her testing she COULD.NOT.READ.  Not only could she NOT read, she couldn't even sound out the letters.  It was heart-breaking and heart-wrenching.  She has academic learning struggles, not brought on by Covid as much as dyslexia and who knows what else.  It took us three sessions to answer 42 questions and two of those sessions were over an hour long.  I feel for her . . .    

BIG Whoops!

The American Red Cross asked me to verify my instructor certifications this week, so I checked them out this afternoon.  Water Safety Instructor - current.  Check.  First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor - current.  Check.  CPR/AED for Professional  Rescuers - Missing.  Say what?  

So I went to my personal "Certifications" folder on our home computer and found my  CPR-Pro instructor cert dated for May 8, 2017.  Which means it would have expired on May 8, 2019.  Whoops!  I called the Red Cross.  Sure enough - I had never renewed my "CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers" Instructor Certification!

Micah asked me if I had taught any CPR-Pro classes after my cert had expired and I'm pretty sure that I had just taught one.  Fortunately, it was in December of 2019 so whoever took it from me would have expired last month.  Whew!

Now I'm enrolled in a "Bridge Class" that I get to take on line to re-renew my "CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers" Instructor Certification.  Fortunately, my current "First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor" cert let me get in to the class.  Unfortunately, I downloaded the WRONG card - it's still current, but it's not the new stuff that just came out last month.  Fortunately, the class is free and I have all next weekend to get it done - provided they approve the wrong card I downloaded!

The stories you just can't make up . . .   

Bedtime Stories . . .

When you do fifth grade FastBridge, you meet with a student one-on-one and have them read three stories to you:  "Apples", "Mark" and "Dee and Floppy".  We were laughing so hard last night as Sam said, "I can recite 'Dee and Floppy' to you word for word I've heard it so many times!" to which I replied, "Me, too!".   

Our New Year's Resolution . . .

Almost fifteen days into the New Year, I think it might be safe to share our New Year's resolution!  

Last April when Micah and I did North Central University's "Run for the Unreached", we each received a copy of the book, "Missionary God, Missionary Bible" by Dick Brogden.

They laid on our kitchen counter for eight months, totally ignored.  Then one day in December, I said to Sam, "Want to read through the Bible in a year with me?" and he said, "Yes."

So we're reading "Missionary God, Missionary Bible", a one year daily devotional based on a chronological reading of the Bible.  Each day we read Scripture, a devotional connecting the reading to God's great missionary plan, and pray for an unreached people group. 

Seriously, who knew Job was a contemporary of Abraham's?  Not me!  Or that what is written in Job 19 might be what a Muslim-based believer might say today?  Not me!  So far, it's been an amazing read . . . and we'll have two copies to share come January 1!

Thankful Thursday!

Our washing machine is on the fritz again!  If you were to listen to it run, you'd hear it's moans of agony.  Death is imminent.  That was confirmed by the repairmen on Wednesday.  There is no hope.  Now, there is a possibility we could call the company . . . 

After living without it for a month this summer, and after having just fought the "Battle of the Dishwasher", we didn't even talk about it.

Sam ordered a new washing machine yesterday.  It was $75.00 more at the place he bought it from, but it will be delivered on Monday when we are all home in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  They will remove our old washing machine at no charge.  Getting it in three days, on a day we're all home, and removing our old one for free?  Definitely worth the extra $75.00, right?

I am ever thankful that Sam did this for us!  Thank you, Sam!