Trent joined me for our first ever high school conferences. We met with three of Spencer's five teachers. His choir teacher was out sick and Spencer didn't think we had much to discuss with his guitar teacher. So English, Biology and History it was. We left feeling very proud of our Freshman son. All of his teachers thought he was a great and respectful student. His Bio and History teacher told us that they thought he should really look into the AP (advanced placement) classes next year. That was a shock to us. We know that Spencer is smart - extremely smart - but he doesn't put much effort into anything he does and the fact that two out of three teachers were really pushing for AP was very encouraging to us. His history teacher told us that he sees almost all of the Freshman as they start high school and Spencer was definitely in the top one percent. What the what? So far he seems to be adjusting to high school very well. He auditioned for and got a role in the Players. He is Alan-a-Dale in the upcoming production of Robin Hood. He just finished auditions for the Allegros show Anything Goes this spring. After the singing portion of auditions he got a call back to the dancing portion. We will find out Friday if he will be cast - he doesn't feel super confident but you never know. It would be a big deal to get cast as a Freshman.
Hailey's conference was last week. I was most concerned about hers because of all my kids she seems to be the one who has to work the hardest at school work. She is also still not a huge fan of reading. I know all kids are not readers, but it is strange that four out of five of us in the house are big time readers and she just has no desire. A point that kept coming up in Spencer's conferences was that his teachers could tell that he has always been a reader - that is so important for success. The fact that Hailey is not a reader was a little scary to me. I brought it up with her teacher and he was not really concerned. As far as the testing they have done so far this year she is right where she should be as a reader in fourth grade. It is hard to not compare your kids and maybe that is where my problem is - because the boys were always so far above grade level in reading. Hailey is different from the boys in the sense that the work and learning part of school do not seem that important to her. She is much more social than her brothers ever were. She is always looking for a playdate or ahead toward the next party. She loves being with her friends at school, but it seems like the learning gets put on the back burner sometimes. Don't get me wrong. She is smart and her conference was great and her teacher thinks she is exactly where she should be. She is still quiet at school and lacks confidence to take on her work sometimes. So we will continue to work on that. She is enjoying fourth grade so far and just finished up her cheer season. She joined the school choir and is one month into piano lessons and loving them so far.
Evan has always had the drive and ambition to succeed in school and this year is no different. It almost seemed a waste to go to conferences because he has all A's and I get notes from teachers telling me what an amazing kid and student he is. But the school really pushed for the student led conferences so I went with Evan in the afternoon and met with all of his teachers and got to hear in person how great he is doing and how he is a model student. I have to admit - I will never tire of hearing good stuff about my kids. Even with his minor health challenges this year he has continued to do wonderfully in school. He is super excited for Destination Imagination to start next week. We wondered if he would try out for the middle school musical this year and he did. He was thrilled to get cast in an actual role as well as the ensemble. Play practice starts next week as well so he is about to get busy. What I most love about Evan is that he is always his own person. His English teacher told me that he comes from his Drama class to English class and sometimes he is wearing a chef hat or a note to remind him of something stuck to his face. Last week he had to dress as a ghost in drama and borrowed a pair of white pants and a white Seinfeld-ish puffy shirt from Trent's scene shop. When I went to pick him up from school I laughed out loud in the car when he was still wearing that get up after school. He wore it from Drama to English and then out of school. He is such a weirdo but he totally owns it. I love that!
These three kiddos are truly the best parts of their Dad and Mom. We are so proud of all of them. As they continue to grow into their own people we are so blessed and humbled to call them our own.
Hailey's conference was last week. I was most concerned about hers because of all my kids she seems to be the one who has to work the hardest at school work. She is also still not a huge fan of reading. I know all kids are not readers, but it is strange that four out of five of us in the house are big time readers and she just has no desire. A point that kept coming up in Spencer's conferences was that his teachers could tell that he has always been a reader - that is so important for success. The fact that Hailey is not a reader was a little scary to me. I brought it up with her teacher and he was not really concerned. As far as the testing they have done so far this year she is right where she should be as a reader in fourth grade. It is hard to not compare your kids and maybe that is where my problem is - because the boys were always so far above grade level in reading. Hailey is different from the boys in the sense that the work and learning part of school do not seem that important to her. She is much more social than her brothers ever were. She is always looking for a playdate or ahead toward the next party. She loves being with her friends at school, but it seems like the learning gets put on the back burner sometimes. Don't get me wrong. She is smart and her conference was great and her teacher thinks she is exactly where she should be. She is still quiet at school and lacks confidence to take on her work sometimes. So we will continue to work on that. She is enjoying fourth grade so far and just finished up her cheer season. She joined the school choir and is one month into piano lessons and loving them so far.
Evan has always had the drive and ambition to succeed in school and this year is no different. It almost seemed a waste to go to conferences because he has all A's and I get notes from teachers telling me what an amazing kid and student he is. But the school really pushed for the student led conferences so I went with Evan in the afternoon and met with all of his teachers and got to hear in person how great he is doing and how he is a model student. I have to admit - I will never tire of hearing good stuff about my kids. Even with his minor health challenges this year he has continued to do wonderfully in school. He is super excited for Destination Imagination to start next week. We wondered if he would try out for the middle school musical this year and he did. He was thrilled to get cast in an actual role as well as the ensemble. Play practice starts next week as well so he is about to get busy. What I most love about Evan is that he is always his own person. His English teacher told me that he comes from his Drama class to English class and sometimes he is wearing a chef hat or a note to remind him of something stuck to his face. Last week he had to dress as a ghost in drama and borrowed a pair of white pants and a white Seinfeld-ish puffy shirt from Trent's scene shop. When I went to pick him up from school I laughed out loud in the car when he was still wearing that get up after school. He wore it from Drama to English and then out of school. He is such a weirdo but he totally owns it. I love that!
These three kiddos are truly the best parts of their Dad and Mom. We are so proud of all of them. As they continue to grow into their own people we are so blessed and humbled to call them our own.
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