Ah, seniors... time to prove you are ready... (ish)

Yesterday was a little different; it was apparently senior skip day, and, coupled with a field trip that included juniors, I had not one single student show up. O, did I get a lot done. I tweaked and submitted syllabi to one of the partner colleges for the fall semester, and shined the others up-- in short, got my syllabi done (five of them) for next school year. I guess I'll be ahead of the game. 

The funniest prank that the kids pulled was to put alarm clocks set to go off at different times up in the ceiling tiles-- which required the assistance of the custodian because I sure couldn't reach! They moved a few things in the classrooms, and took all the clocks off the walls, too. Their theme was "it's time!"--and indeed, it is.

Today, seniors have to present their portfolios in front of panels (I'm on one). This is a project that asks them to reflect on a number of anchor questions, and to supply a visual and oral presentation that is a sort of "defense" of what they have learned-- not in specific curricular areas, but overall. Things like what they consider to be their way of determining quality work, or how what they have done all these years has prepared them for their next steps. This portfolio defense replaced the dreaded "senior project" which was a paper and an oral presentation on either an argument or a process they engaged in-- they already do so many of those, that it seemed redundant. The only downside is we still have four weeks of school to go, and they are already mentally checking out. We ain't done yet... 

So, no classes today. Just portfolio presentations, and an optional presentation by the HealthTrust dude about our health care options for next year. I already chose mine, but maybe I'll go and see if I chose wisely. It's not too late to change it, if I want to. It's confusing and irritating to have to do this every year. I really would love to see what a national health care plan would look like. 

And when I got home yesterday, I cut rhubarb (there's more to go), got my tires changed over, and then came home again and did some house tidying and made a blueberry-rhubarb pie. It is a good one! I am hopeful that the rain holds off and I can get outside later today to finish harvesting some more rhubarb, and maybe tackle the weeds in the strawberry bed. That task is a daunting one. I hope they didn't choke out all the plants. 

Allergies abound, too-- but O, my yard is beautiful. I hope that the trees do, in fact, bear good fruit. 

Have a good day,

C