{ October 12 }

Yesterday was Parent/Teacher (student) conference for both Ayden and Sophie. I was excited to sit down and talk with each of their teachers about their progress. Because they both went to such a great preschool they have always been at the ahead of their class. But because they are both very social I wanted to make sure they were being respectful, not talking out of turn or being too crazy at school.

Ms. Allen:

First it was Ayden's teacher Ms. Allen. She is wonderful. She has a great spirit about her and she is always very friendly and happy. She started in by expressing to me that she knows how smart Ayden is and she is constantly trying to challenge him. She said one of the best things about Ayden is that he challenges himself. When asked to do something that is very easy for him, he will adjust it or enhance it to make it more challenging. (for example: when coloring a picture he uses patterns and when writing his name he uses cursive) On his report card he got all 3's which stands for "meets or exceeds grade-level standards". He was tested in both reading and math where he achieved a 2.5 grade level. (meaning he is at the level of a second grader half way through the year) He also took a national test and was placed in the 88% for his age. I'm so proud of the good student he is. Ms Allen said he always does his best and is willing to help the other kids around him. She is starting him on an AR program where he will take a library book home and when he brings it back he will take a test on that book to help him improve his reading comprehension skills. She also said that although he is very social and has to be reminded to be quiet every once in a while, he is respectful to her and the other kids in his class.

{Ms Allen said they read a story with patterns and then had to re-create them with a picture. Ayden chose the hardest pattern.}

Mrs. Kagie:

Next up was Sophie's Kindergarden teacher. Mrs Kagie is a sweetheart so I knew it would be hard for her to say anything bad about Sophie, but I again wanted to make sure she wasn't too crazy in class. She told me that Sophie has passed off all the curriculum for Kindergarden. She got all 3's on her report card except for one 2.5 because she was struggling with above and below. (so silly) She started her on the 1st grade sight words (most of which she already knows) and her weekly readers are much harder than the rest of the class. Mrs Kagie said that Sophie is a delightful child and that she makes her smile every day. She is very good at applying the things they are learning about to her daily life. She loves to rhyme and point out patterns. She said Sophie is nice to all the kids in her class and has many friends. Even though she needs a reminder every once in a while to stay quiet, she is always respectful.

I am so proud of my kids. Logan and I really try to stress respect for others, especially your teachers, in our home. They are such fun and spirited kids that I worry they may get carried away and forget the things we are trying to teach them. It was so wonderful to hear from their teachers that they are working hard and setting good examples for the other kids in their classes.

I love you Ayden and Sophie. Way to go!!