Friday, May 4, 2012

Endings

It's the end of the week, and we're wrapping some things up for the school year.

Co-op is over.  That means that Notgrass World History, WriteShop, and Shepherd Life Science are also over.  Kinetic Physics is going to take a few more weeks -- they couldn't get it all crammed in during the co-op time frame.

Overall, Notgrass was a dud -- Thalia hated it.  But, hey, it was incredibly easy, and it got the job done.

Annabeth was neutral about WriteShop.  I think her writing has improved, but she's still not a huge fan of the writing process.  Her teacher for the class also used some ideas from  Jump In composition, which Annabeth thought was a fun change of pace.

Shepherd Life Science seemed like a good fit for a middle school science program.  The teacher for the class has done years of co-op science classes, and was able to come up with many experiments and games for the kids, which helped.  So, thumbs up for that program for us, but your mileage may vary.

Also this week we had Girl Scout Court of Awards, which marks the official ending of the year.  Except the girls have also planned several events for over the summer, including finishing a hiking badge, and camping.  So I guess it really just marks the end of having to go to meetings.

Best of all, this week is the end of Sound of Music.  I will be so glad when this show is over.

Last Saturday they had a work day up in Maryland Heights.  The original plan was to work from 10am to 6pm, with a rehearsal in the early afternoon.  Annabeth called me mid-afternoon to say that they'd be staying later.  I was sort of glad to hear that because I'd seen a weather report predicting bad storms in the area at 6pm.  And, yes, at about 6pm the tornado sirens went off.  Sitting in the basement, we turned on the weather news and saw that a tornado was forming in Maryland Heights, although it was east of where the kids were.  When I went to pick them up after 8pm there was still hail unmelted on the ground -- it had come down the size of tennis balls, cracking the windows of every single car in the parking lot.  Most of the cars lost windows, as a matter of fact.

For the record, Thalia called about 6:45 and said, "We're supposed to call you and let you know that we're not dead."  Really, I had confidence that they were with some really level-headed adults, and that they were as safe as anyone could be in that area.

So, anyway, everyone has had THAT mess to deal with on top of the general stress of tech week.  Things like, for example,  the thrill of trying to get cars and trucks repaired while also transporting scenery to the theater.

Performances tonight and tomorrow night, and then this is DONE! Woot, check another thing off the list!

2 comments:

Ami said...

Too busy for me. I only have time for work, naps and work.

I have appreciated your clarity in writing about the science stuff you've done for co op. 'My' children so enjoy stuff like that, and they're always willing to do more of it when offered.

But why isn't there a category on your blog for tornadoes?

Ever since I was a small girl and saw The Wizard of Oz, I have been scared to death of them.

One passed over us a few years ago and came down on the Washington side of the Columbia river. I heard it go over, and it DID sound exactly like a freight train.

Gail said...

Ami, you're my inspiration for working with the 3rd-5th graders. Your example of patience and compassion helped me make it through the year without swatting someone upside the head.

Ever since we read Wizard of Oz aloud years and years ago Annabeth has been terrified of tornadoes. She's learning all the safety skills, though, since we live in tornado alley. Talk about confronting your fears!