I have to start off this entry first by saying that this has probably been the longest week for me since I have arrived in Doha. It was a three day week for the kids because Wednesday and Thursday were parent teacher conferences. I did an unbelievable amount of preparing for the two days where I met with the parents. Those two days are all that I have been thinking about all week- borderline obsessing over. What I wanted to address to the parents, discussing my goals for their child, what my objectives are for them by the end of the year- I like to have everything planned and organized. It is part of who I am and how I function best. I think it will be easier for me next year (and many years to come!) because now I have some experience with it and have some ideas of what to expect. I had my hefty binder stuffed to the gills with paperwork for each child.
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You know nothing Jon Snow! |
1. Assessments: one for math, one for the alphabet, and one for sight words/reading level
2. Student work samples: this includes work that they have completed in class. I had one page that had some of their letters, one page that had sight words they had written, and one math page to show their written numbers 1-25 and drawing shapes
3. Glow and Grow worksheet. For the glow you write something positive about the child and the grow you write something that they need to work on.
4. Sight words flash cards. This way they can play different games and have that extra practice at home to help them learn and remember their sight words.
5. Number chart to 100. This allows the parents to practice counting to 100 with their child and they can use it for skip counting by 2s, 5s and 10s and make different games out of it.
6. Leveled book. Yay Fountas and Pinnell! I assessed them to see what reading level they were at and starting this week they will have a take home book to read each night. First the parents read the book to them a few times to get them familiar with the words and then the kids read it, with assistance from their parents as needed. Then each week I will rotate the books and they will get a new book every week.
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This is similar to what I gave to parents at the conferences. It is no easy task doing 20 of these! It gave me good preparation for report cards in December! |
Funny story time. Tariq, our manager of school operations, came into my room after I was finished with conferences. He just stared at me for a few seconds. He looked really serious and of course when someone looks all stern and pauses before saying anything your first thought is "I'm in trouble. What did I do?" Here was our exchange:
"We need to talk about your e-mail signature."
"Is there something wrong with it?"
"Your signature is perfectly fine. Except for the fact that the mobile number listed is my number."
"Oh my god I am so sorry! I thought it was just the school number!"
"It's ok! I figured you must've copied and pasted mine and forgot to change the number. I was getting some WhatsApp messages from parents asking for Miss Kellie. Sorry it took me a while to track you down and tell you. I just thought I should tell you so you can change it and get any messages you might have missed."
We have to do a signature for our school emails. Tariq sent out an e-mail explaining how to do it and provided a sample. Well I copied and pasted his sample, assumed it was just the school numbers, and did not think anything else of it. We were both cracking up and now of course my e-mail signature is fixed and has my number now! Tariq will not be bothered with messages from any KG2D parents anymore!! He jokingly threatened (at least I hope he was) to change my number into HIS e-mail signature and that I could screen his calls! Which I would definitely not want to do because I feel like as the manager of school operations he must have a never ending to do list with endless amounts of phone calls.
The past weekend was very fun. We celebrated one of my coworker's birthdays at the St. Regis on the beach because we are classy like that. We thought it was going to be reggae night- nope! Apparently we picked the one Friday night of the year that this classic rock cover band plays. We still had fun though because they play the music right on the beach and you are literally sitting at different chairs and tables and these pod things in the sand. You have to take your shoes off before you go and they stay on a rack while you relax barefoot on the beach listening to music drinking adult beverages.
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The St. Regis is one of the coolest looking hotels in Doha. In my opinion. |
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They have a full sized Olympic pool. The St. Regis is huge and absolutely gorgeous! |
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Hello beautiful. You are what I have been looking for in my life. |
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The barista even spelled my name right! Well she also might have asked me how it was spelled but it was still cool! And I love how they gave me silverware when all I got was a muffin. |
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Turkish festival 2015! They had so many different tents set up with things you could buy. And all these booths with different Turkish foods and drinks. |
ice cream and entertaining the kids was one of my
favorite parts of the festival.
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Yes I get to live here for the next 2 years. Aren't you jealous? |
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I love this shot. And look there are actually clouds in the sky! The sunsets always look incredible out here in the desert. |