We finished our Dial Three Assessments !

We finished our Dial Three Assessments today. I even have them scored. It always feels great to get to the end of our year and see how much we have grown and how much we have learned. I would like to take credit for that but for the most part it is part of nature. We all grow. We all learn. I am happy with the scores we all got. My three year olds had really high scores which makes me excited for next year.

I will be taking these tests and my worksampling reports to put together our information for our end of the year teacher conferences. I will also be putting together packets for each child entering kindergarten with copies of their last Dial Three Report, WSS Summary Report and a letter explaining what type of classroom environment your child is accustomed to and what type of learner they are. Hopefully this will help in their placement to get the best teacher for them.

I about exhausted Randy's ability to keep the kids entertained while I was doing the testing. We resorted to part of a movie today ( BUGS LIFE ) and a coloring sheet. I know... sounds like I've lost it. But if you have been keeping count this is 4th time this year ( since August ) we have turned on the TV and maybe.... the third coloring page. I'll take those statistics!

Tomorrow we will get back on our regular schedule .

( On a side note, the kids really enjoyed the coloring sheet. I printed a Barbie one for the girl and a monster truck one for the boys. )

Rocket Ship Run

Today we were back on track to finish out the week with our transportation unit . This morning we talked about rockets. I know the kids are intrigued by rockets because every time they do a painting and are stumped about what it actually is that they drew and I ask- they say " a rocket."

One of the indicators in our worksampling is : child understand how technology can be used. With that in mind today in small groups we watched a youtube video of a rocket launch. We learned a lot from this short clip.

1. There is fire underneath the rocket to make it take off.

2. It goes fast.

3. It goes up.

4. There is a countd0wn before the rocket takes off.

5. With the computer we can learn about things that happen at other places. ( We have never seen a rocket in Siloam !)

After watching the clip we had HUGE number cards and we laid the numbers 1 - 10 on the table and counted backwards - identifying the numbers as we went. SO fun!

During this time an Arkansas Better Chance " person" came by to do an audit on my paperwork. The kids were wonderful and make us look so good. I am so proud of them. The audit went well. He did say I have to put an attendance policy back in my handbook next year. I took it out because I dont like to " let children go" because of attendance. ( They can't drive themselves here- hell0..) But, he showed me how I can do it and still have some flexibility to be reasonable. John is a very nice man and I enjoyed his visit.

He enjoyed hearing us sing this song about rockets. Please enjoy one of my FAVORITE songs by Laurie Berkner. Turn up the speakers and grab your kiddo, they love it too!

( Thanks Jodie for filling in for me this afternoon while I took mom for chemo. )

I am thankful ...

What are you thankful for?


I am thankful for children that love to climb in the loft and read book.

I am

thankful for young artist ,readers, being alone in the cube, learning to cut in the art center ( and not cutting hair ).

I am thankful for kids that paint pictures of their whole family. He even color coded the boys brown and girls pink and and even make their size comparatively correct !

Today we made " I am thankful for..." books. Each child added a page to our book. Some of the answers were:

I am thankful for ....

Scooby Doo Movie

My house

My momma and dada

My momma and daddy went to walmart to buy me presents

So many good answers.

As I was writing the kids names on their Thankful sheet, Nolan said " Ms Debbie, what you doin? " I replied " I am writing your names on your paper so when I come back to it I will know it is yours!" He said " Where you goin?" :) Love to hear kids talk.

Randy played games with the kids outside today. The "games" were actually an assessment for their worksampling folders. They played games and he watched them hop, skip, jump, walk on stairs with alternating feet, pedal a tricycle.....