May 6th- NJASK testing week!

 FREE PRETZEL #6

May 6th- Day 6- Today was the first day of NJASK (New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge) testing for 5th and 6th grade students all over NJ.  Our house was up early because both Katie and I needed to be at school early.  Katie has to proctor a one-on-one student and I have to administer the test to my own class.  I have done this plenty of times, but I still get nervous for the kids. I try my best to not put any pressure on them, but some are more stressed out than others and for 10 year olds it is just tough. It is unfortunate that this is what they have to go through. It can also be tough for a new teacher in light of the current climate in education.

As I walked down the hall, first thing in the morning, the normal hustle and bustle of a school was evident, but I definitely noticed a little more serious tone than normal on some of the faces.  I try and take a laid back approach, but its not that easy.  I hustled by to get my testing booklets and I notice one of the first year teachers moving about quickly and I couldn't help but think that this might be a nerve racking day for her.

The recipient of the FREE PRETZEL today was an easy choice for me now, assuming she liked soft pretzels.  Ms. Grayson is a first year teacher in our school and today was her first ever day of NJASK testing.  After the morning of testing, I went to her and asked her how it went.  She said it went well and then I asked her if she would like a pretzel.  She said, "I love pretzels!"  I was happy that this may have brightened her day for a moment.  Sometimes our jobs are stressful when they shouldn't be and she handled herself extremely well.  Last year, she was the Educational assistant in the copy room and she was always great about making copies for me, even at the last minute.  This year, she has enjoyed having her own classroom.  I hope she enjoys many more years of happiness in teaching and that this will be the first of many nervous NJASK days. It only gets easier...I promise.

Ms. Grayson was pleased to pose for her FREE PRETZEL

A few shout outs:

-The Paul VI golf team won their 8th match yesterday to raise their record to 8-4.  We are having a nice season so far, but still have a long way to go.  We shall see where else the season takes us.

-Happy Nurses Day/Week to all nurses out there.  I hope you have a great week.  You definitely do not get enough credit for all the work you do.

-Nice win for the Phils last night. I will give a virtual pretzel to Cliff Lee for stepping up. Let's hope he continues this way for the rest of the year.  Im not quitting on this team yet.

Here's to more FREE PRETZELS.  Good luck to all teachers and students in NJ this week and next week.

Until later today...