Parent/Teacher conference

In our district, elementary schools have parent/teacher conferences at the end of the 1st 9 weeks. I LOVE THIS! We are one of the few distrits that does this. I would love to have one every 9 weeks, but I know that is not possible...I love getting to know KJ's teacher and hearing about how she is doing. I think this gives me a great advantage because I know exactly where she statnds on all her subjects and what her strengths and weaknesses are and how to praise and correct. This is such a great advantage over just getting a report card sent home with nothing on it to tell you about your child except numbers.

One thing I don't like about our district is that we are in the 2nd grade and STILL are not getting number grades. The grades are done on a scale of 1 to 4. FRUSTRATING. I ahve no idea how these numbers are weighted and have never really been able to get that answer. What I have gotten was that a 4 is perfect, a 3 shows that they are above average on a subject and a 2 is they are doing great but have room for improvement. There are also about 40 things on the report card that get scored. It is overwhlming to sau the least. She got a couple 4's, TONS of 3's and a few 2's. I was not pleased witht he 2's. The teacher said the 2's were all new stuff they had just learned and the she is doing amazing.

Her reading ins coming along beautifully. In Kindergarten she could barely read. Her teacher did not teach them like I think she should have. In 1st grade she struggled in the beginning but really caught on in the 2nd semester. She ended up reading the most books in her class last year. SO, this was my biggest concern. At the beginning of the year, they want them to be at a level 16. When she was tested in September, she was at an 18 and her teacher said that at the time of the conference she was probbaly on a 20 or 22. So, that was great news! She is finally progressing well in that subject!!!

She told me that her reading comprehension was amazing. I was shocked when I saw that number. At the beginning of 2nd grade they want them to be at a 14 and the end to be a 16 (I think). She was at a 22 in SEPTEMBER!!!! Man. She may not be reading great yet, but she at leasts understands and remembers what she is reading! I was one proud momma!!!!

She said they were working on expanding her thoughts on her writing, but she had no problem in length (so her mother's child on the length lol). We were reading a few of her writing samples and we couldn't figure out a word. We were all three trying to figure it out when KJ pipes up from the back of the room and recites the whole sentence we were trying to figure out!! The writing had been done a few weeks back....mind like a steel trap much?!?! I was impressed as well as her dad and teacher too!

Math of course is her best subject. They took a benchmark test a few weeks back. It was 10 wordy questions. The teacher read the test to them. She said that KJ was the only one that worked ahead and still came out with a 10/10. The teacher was impressed by this. I was too! The only problem she has here is that she does the work in her head and doesn't show her work (her dad used to get into trouble for the same thing). So, we have been working on that one!!!

The only thing she said she really needs to work on is group or partner work. She said she has a hard time in those settings becuase she is so focused on getting the work done that she gets bossy to her friends because they are not staying on task or doing the work wrong. Honestly, I can't blame her on that one. That frustrates me too!!!!!

So, all in all, an AMAZING conference. I am raising a wonderful, kind, loving, SMART child! I am one proud mommy!!!!

She cracks me up. If she were Columbus, she would tell the world "I TOLD YOU SO".

I can tell by the handwriting that she did all the writing on this one.