Our Thanksgiving Skillz Camp was our biggest camp yet! We had close to 60 campers in attendance. It was awesome! Even with that many kids, the camp ran smoothly, was on time, was structured, fun and exciting.Next up: Winter Skillz Camp 09
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thanksgiving Skillz Camp 2009
Our Thanksgiving Skillz Camp was our biggest camp yet! We had close to 60 campers in attendance. It was awesome! Even with that many kids, the camp ran smoothly, was on time, was structured, fun and exciting.Next up: Winter Skillz Camp 09
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The New School
What can I say about Joshua and Jayden's new school? In one word, amazing. Although the boys started at the end of the first trimester and only a week before the parent-teacher conferences, it was a smooth transition.
Academically, they both had more homework and studying in the first week of school than they did at their old school in a month. They were assessed right away and are at the top of their classes! They have an awesome accelerated math program that is just up Joshua's alley and exactly what he needed to excel and be challenged. In the first trimester, the entire 5th grade class goal was to complete 21 tests. Joshua completed 21 tests in the first week! The exciting thing about this program is that the students can move on at their own pace if they keep passing the tests. Joshua's teacher is waiting to see if he'll ever get stumped and so far he's passing each one with ease. Joshua also was allowed to take a social studies test that his class had been studying for weeks. He only had 2 days to study for it and he had never studied this way for a test before. His teacher didn't expect him to ace it. But, to our excitement, he got an A+!
Jayden is also doing extremely well. He is in the highest reading group of all the 2nd grade classes combined. He is learning and loving his new environment.
At their former school, they would rarely have homework as their teachers would allow them to complete their homework in class because they'd complete their classwork ahead of time.
Now they both come home with lots of homework and studying, but they are thriving and work on it the minute they get in the door. They both have great study habits.
Their principal is a great hands on leader of the school. He takes pride in his school, staff, and students and knows every single student's name (684 students total). The atmosphere is so positive and really has a family feel to it, it's absolutely wonderful!
Joshua and Jayden have made some great friends already and have adjusted so well. The transition to their new school was so easy for them! I asked both boys which school they liked better and they both said their new school!! They are both happy and love being here in Rocklin! This is just confirmation that we did the right thing at the right time!
Academically, they both had more homework and studying in the first week of school than they did at their old school in a month. They were assessed right away and are at the top of their classes! They have an awesome accelerated math program that is just up Joshua's alley and exactly what he needed to excel and be challenged. In the first trimester, the entire 5th grade class goal was to complete 21 tests. Joshua completed 21 tests in the first week! The exciting thing about this program is that the students can move on at their own pace if they keep passing the tests. Joshua's teacher is waiting to see if he'll ever get stumped and so far he's passing each one with ease. Joshua also was allowed to take a social studies test that his class had been studying for weeks. He only had 2 days to study for it and he had never studied this way for a test before. His teacher didn't expect him to ace it. But, to our excitement, he got an A+!
Jayden is also doing extremely well. He is in the highest reading group of all the 2nd grade classes combined. He is learning and loving his new environment.
At their former school, they would rarely have homework as their teachers would allow them to complete their homework in class because they'd complete their classwork ahead of time.
Now they both come home with lots of homework and studying, but they are thriving and work on it the minute they get in the door. They both have great study habits.
Their principal is a great hands on leader of the school. He takes pride in his school, staff, and students and knows every single student's name (684 students total). The atmosphere is so positive and really has a family feel to it, it's absolutely wonderful!
Joshua and Jayden have made some great friends already and have adjusted so well. The transition to their new school was so easy for them! I asked both boys which school they liked better and they both said their new school!! They are both happy and love being here in Rocklin! This is just confirmation that we did the right thing at the right time!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Rock-Town
In October, we officially sold our house in Lincoln and moved to Rocklin. We had a great experience in Lincoln for the past 7 years and loved our home. However, there were more important things at stake and the reason for our move was to get our boys into the Rocklin unified school district. We knew that we'd end up in Rocklin eventually. Originally our goal was to get to Rocklin before Joshua started 6th grade. However, things happened and we made the decision to just get out to Rocklin sooner than later. Honestly, we had know idea that we'd sell our house that quickly. We put it up at the end of June and closed escrow at the end of October!
Joshua and Jayden weren't being challenged to the best of their ability and I worried that there wasn't enough in Lincoln academically for our boys. They both had great teachers at some point who did challenge their needs, but then there were some who didn't challenge them. In fact, before we left Lincoln, Joshua was informally appointed the assistant teacher. He would go outside during class time to test the kids in math, sometimes correct papers and even log grades into the log book. Although Joshua loved being a helper, I felt that it was inappropriate for him to be responsible for other students and teaching them things when he should have been learning things himself.
It was challenging and sometimes stressful with the selling of our home, offers falling through etc., awful nightmare movers, and so on...but it was all worth it because now we're in a great house in Rocklin and at an amazing school. So it all worked out for the best as it always does and we're very thankful.
Next post: The New School.
Joshua and Jayden weren't being challenged to the best of their ability and I worried that there wasn't enough in Lincoln academically for our boys. They both had great teachers at some point who did challenge their needs, but then there were some who didn't challenge them. In fact, before we left Lincoln, Joshua was informally appointed the assistant teacher. He would go outside during class time to test the kids in math, sometimes correct papers and even log grades into the log book. Although Joshua loved being a helper, I felt that it was inappropriate for him to be responsible for other students and teaching them things when he should have been learning things himself.
It was challenging and sometimes stressful with the selling of our home, offers falling through etc., awful nightmare movers, and so on...but it was all worth it because now we're in a great house in Rocklin and at an amazing school. So it all worked out for the best as it always does and we're very thankful.
Next post: The New School.
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