7-Quick Takes – The end of the academic year edition

  Join Jen and the other Quicktakers over at the Conversion Diary.

1. It’s the end of the year with graduations galore around here.  We were supposed to have a graduation this year –  we became grandparents instead.

 But if part of the goal of raising successful adults is that they take responsibility, hold down a job and take care of their families – we’ve succeeded on that front.  It’s been a harder way to grow up, that’s for sure, but maybe this is the way God chose to work out His plan for our son this year.

2.  The boy down the road, who was also 18 (in fact my sons remember playing with this young man when they were younger) was shot and killed during a burglary this week.  He was the robber.  The entire funeral procession came down our street today, white hearse and all.   Very sad.

From that perspective, as bad as things get, they could always be worse!

3. This was the last year that the ACT folks were offering the Explore and Plan tests. My second son took the PLAN test in 2009 and did pretty well with it.  So I wanted to see  how my two high school kids would do on them, and I also wanted to give them more practice taking a standardized exam.

Noah did great.  He had a composite score of 21 and if he took it today he would be expected to get in the 21 to 26 range.  As he will be in 11th grade in the fall, we definitely have time to move that up.

4.  Izzy finished the test and not surprisingly her composite score was low. Her reading is improving, but it is still a struggle for her. She had her highest score in science, which was a surprise for me!!

On the other hand, she had her first art show today at an actual art studio.  Only the best students at the studio were chosen so we are very thrilled for Izzy -God continues to work His plan for her too – I just wish he’d give me a little peak into the future!!

5.  Although we are in “summer mode” we are still reading books.  Izzy is reading To Kill a Mockingbird and Noah, Izzy and I are reading Farewell to Arms.  Noah has running every day, Rosie’s cross country training will start.

6. We had our yearly assessment with Dr. Holinga.  They each read for her and she gave her suggestions for next year!  We are ready to notify for next year!!

7. It is now yard sale time – which is a skill I want all of my kids to have!   This week’s find- this lovely ballroom gown that had been worn to President Bush’s first inauguration!!  Got it for $10.   Gorgeous!