The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[StarWarsGirl]

Black Panther was great and this is coming from someone who didn't want to see it and expected to dislike it.

My movie buddy friend and I will probably go see it once I'm better. She's from Liberia, so I imagine she's excited for this one.

 

[donaldtoo]

None of them could create their way out of a wet paper sack, anymore. Or, even if they could, the powers that be are shutting them down. Sooo friggin'sad.

And, on that wonderful note, I'm out...hey, tomorrow's a new day...!
Y'all be cool and sweet Disney dreams to all...!!!
Laterrrrrrrrrrr...!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Gabe1]

@figmentfan423 , what are the plans today on the holiday? I think the whole family should go out to a fun, local restaurant and celebrate the day off.

Don't know about @figmentfan423 but.....

Because it was like this...and not the promised 60 degrees

Strawberry Cream Cheese french toast
and I went traditional

Then onto....
Spaghetti and Ravioli Pie

Change of plans often work out nicely.

 

[Gabe1]

That's right! I need to figure that out. We have used one snow day, which pushes back the end day. No built in snow days in our calendar. Crazy, I know. I mean Chicago? We never get snow.

It is all in the perspective. We build in 5 snow days. If we do not use any We release 5 days early. If we use one, four days early. We have to decide by March school board meeting which is mid month. But it is easier to tell students and families they are being released early vs now you have to go x amount days longer.

In 2011 we used more than the allotted amount. Everyone got lucky because they actually released early with the blessings from the State. Major necessary construction project for over the summer. So that year snow days and early release bonus.

How you doing with the rain? There are ponds everywhere here. One car this evening decided to ignore the theory of not to drive too fast for driving conditions, lost control and at the crossing landed sideways on rail track just past the crossing. They actually got that car off somehow and away it drove about an hour later.

The little bit of grass showing here, if you step on it liquid mud just oozes out.

 

[Gabe1]

I wish, my dh is going to bed in a couple of hours and James has made plans with his I'm going to spend quality time with mount laundry, get some cooking done, finish a top, and somehow squeeze in a couple of yoga practices.

Well at least the hubby went to sleep, not under foot.

 

[Gabe1]

Thanks for asking. I'm still feeling like something is coming but I'm feeling a little better than yesterday. I see how work goes today. If I'm feeling worse at the end of the day I might prepare a sub plan just in case for Tuesday.

Bluck! No Presidents Day off! You could have used that.

 

[Gabe1]

That's a good one

I rarely drink flavored coffee, but I do like Wild Mountain Blueberry from Green Mountain Coffee.

OK, now I'm going to have to try that Blueberry Green Mountain. Now where the heck do you get that from?

 

[Gabe1]

You took the words out of my mouth, or keyboard actually.

That is exactly the 'wording' I was going to use. Meatloaf was ringing in my head.

 

[Gabe1]

No we never have President's Day off, we don't do MLK day either unless it is the end of the semester and have a teacher work/inservice day. We have had 2 snow days so far so our last day has turned into a full day and as staff we have to make up 4 extra hours on our own.

Blah! I get the state hour requirements for classroom instruction. Not much anyone can do about that beyond extenuating circumstances that the state grants. As far as make up of petty hours of staff I am in that Come On folks.

The board before me drew the line in the sand only once, a learning curve for professional staff in pushing too far. The demand that contract was for 4 additional inservice days. More than anyone in the state. A major contract sticking point.

It was an awful winter, snow and beyond below zero days, so many school days closed. The students went the minimum, the state waved several days. The board made 100% of the professional staff make up the extra days for extra inservice and the extra school days. 3 of the inservice days were moved by the board to the end of the student school year. The balance of the staff had been released. That board believed if the staff felt so strongly about the need for extra inservice they should not mind spending an extra week and half in school during summer break. And so administration scheduled 'special' all day inservices for the staff after the school year for the students had ended. Oddly the extra inservice days went away the next contract as a concession. We have never had a strike in our union district but sometimes both sides want to beat their heads into a wall.

 

[Gabe1]

This is school vacation week in my area. When does your area have school vacation week?

Wow! Early Ours last week of March and through Easter Monday.

 

[Gabe1]

They don’t get a Spring Break here. They get Good Friday off and the Monday after Easter.

Explains before Memorial Day release.

 

[Gabe1]

We homeschool as you know, and I start when the local schools do. I personally prefer a later start since the weather is still beautiful in August. It used to start the last week of August, but 3 years ago they moved it to the 3rd week of August so the kids would get an extra week to study for the standardized tests. My sons birthday fell on the first day this past year, so I was kind and waited until the following Monday to start. We don't get snow days or take too many days off so we usually are done in May with an official year.

Nice! I am a big fan of standardized testing. I am big data driven, big picture not petty percentages. I'm not concerned with local or even state. I love the national big data.

In the end that is what counts, end game, if these students or families have any interest in higher education. I want to know if this is the students goal to further their education that they have the scores to attain those goals. Me I could care less what the rubric is on the diorama they create. It isn't about the individual subjective grades more the overall education they receive and convert for continuing on with their education. For those not having goals to further their education there is no harm in having the best education to that point. At some point there needs to be an assessment of the effectiveness of curriculum for districts, state and national to have some guidelines of what should be taught and what is acceptable in a pass, fail, meets or exceeds parameter. No matter what students do in life there will be those types of reviews and assessments in their chosen careers. That's life.

 

[Gabe1]

That was nice of you! Starting a school year on a birthday isn’t any fun.

I think I agree with you about the later start. Spring can be iffy weather wise, at least August is guaranteed to be warm enough to be outside.. and swimming!
Our first day of school was 8/24 this year, 12pm dismissal..I get it, unpacking and getting situated. Our last day of school is 6/1, 10am dismissal. I don’t even understand why the kids are going to school on that day.

It is often about the college students. They are in part the summer camp staff, the lifeguards. Their schedules release earlier and start back earlier in most states and college students are not necessarily educated in their own states, they cross borders. So if there isn't staff to open pools, staff day camps then what? Even in high school, the sports generally start several weeks before the regular school year. These are the other students that do the daycamps for the younger and the lifeguards for the pools. With so many parents being dual working families most depend on camps and pools to fill those working day times. That is the push to align all, from elementary through college calendars so there is staff for the younger ones. Jobs for the older ones.

 

[Gabe1]

Love Willy Wonka, not Chitty Chitty Bang Bang so much. Summer Rental was On Demand on our cable for a few months last year. The kids loved it, and then when it was taken off I bought it for them.

We all love Willy. I can't wait to go to Willy's at Uni. Ice Cream. Who doesn't want to go to that awesome place?

 

[Gabe1]

That is exactly what popped into my head when I first saw the pic!

Me too before I saw my friends comment about the poop pretzel stick.

How is the rain by you. It is pouring and why I am awake. So guarded. The water is rising quickly now unlike the daylight hours. Ponding fast.

 

[Go.Nijntje]

Or as my daughter would say, plus Zac Effron.

She really liked it. I still haven't seen it.

Zac Effron doesn't hold a candle to Hugh Jackman when it comes to dancing, singing and looks and that is abundantly clear in this film. I will say that Zac is decent looking and he can act.
As for younger kids watching this movie, I think there is nothing inappropriate in it, there is very mild violence and it deals with discrimination based on appearance but, like posted before, that could be used as a good teaching moment.

 

[Figgy1]

Thanks for asking. I'm still feeling like something is coming but I'm feeling a little better than yesterday. I see how work goes today. If I'm feeling worse at the end of the day I might prepare a sub plan just in case for Tuesday.

I hope it didn't come to that.

 

[Figgy1]

Good morning

 

[Figgy1]

10 days until Dr Seuss' birthday

 

[Figgy1]

Waiting for the Blu-Ray to come out. Glad that you said it was good so it won't be a waste of money.

With few exceptions we've been borrowing movies from the library before buying a hard copy because the house has been getting over run with them