House2Home Ministries

I know it's only the second week of the school year, but it has definitely been a banner week for our three scholars! They have all demonstrated some remarkable growth and I just couldn't wait to share.

Tyler: 11th Grade
Tyler made a quality decision this week. After receiving less than favorable scores on two evaluative quizzes this week and really assessing the workload, time commitment, and expectations of her AP English class, she decided to switch to AP History instead. Now normally I would challenge her on this, but I have to admit she thought this through very well. First, she didn't just make a snap decision. She came home and presented her argument to us, which, by the way, included some very relevant points. After we agreed, she submitted her change request to her counselor the next day. Now she's a happy camper! She's still taking a challenging course, but now she no longer feels the threat of being overwhelmed. Now that's a wise choice!

Yesterday, she was excited to share a funky new rap song that her Pre-Cal teacher taught her class in order to help them remember a particular math formula. She sung it to me and I have to admit, it's pretty cool. She was beaming with the light of discovery and says she can just see herself pulling this song out in college should she ever need to recall. Kudos to Ms. Suarez for giving her class such a simple yet powerful tool for learning!

Reagan: 7th Grade
Reagan had a great boost in self-confidence and she couldn't wait to tell us about it. There was a book she needed to check out at the public library for her English class, but she couldn't remember the author's name. Plus, she hasn't renewed her library card yet. So to fix the first and easiest problem, she enlisted the help of her big sis, Tyler, and borrowed her card. Then she recalled a tip from her 6th grade English teacher, Ms. Garza. She Googled the title of the book to identify the author, then took that information to the Librarian to get help in finding the book. Presto! Problem solved. And she couldn't have been happier about being able to think it through herself. Way to go, my little scholar!

She also shined in Science this week. In her own words, "Mom, I was popping those answers off in class review like it was nothing!" Apparently she didn't collect as many cobwebs on the brain as she thought over the summer. I think our Mamaversity sessions had a little something to do with that.

Drew: 9th Grade
Drew took initiative and proved his growing communication skills by getting out in front of a problem and presenting a plan of action. He's still lacking a few school supplies. (The Back-To-School blitz has left the supply aisles at most stores bare-boned and we're still on the hunt). So, what he did to buy time was e-mail the teachers whose classes he still needed supplies for and asked for an extension on their deadlines. They have each responded favorably! Oh - and I'd like to mention that he was remembered to copy me on those e-mails too (a MUST when e-mailing adults). Smart boy!

He also demonstrated growth by doing something that is a stretch for him. He's taking a foreign language class (Spanish) this year for the very first time; something that can be intimidating to anybody. But the light of the love for learning came shining through when he shared how he actively participated in a class lesson by answering several questions out loud. He was later pleasantly surprised when his teacher rewarded him with ten bonus points for rising to the challenge.

Last but not least, when I reviewed his Gradespeed page (an automated website from the school district that keeps parents and students updated on assignments, test scores, and grading) with him, he was reminded about a couple of missing assignments. He got on top of that right away, then immediately asked me if I had saved the video of his goal declaration for this school year. When I assured him that I did, he promptly responded, "Good Mom. Keep it on hand in case I need it later. I don't want to break the promise I made to myself." Gotta love that!

Yep. All-in-all I'd say that these three are well on their way to meeting and even exceeding their own expectations this school year, and we couldn't be more proud of them!