Category Archives: Write

Summer Writing Prompts

Again, I have been MIA. I guess that’s one of the drawbacks of being a hands-on mom. And a child that is concurrently taking high school classes and college classes.

Child has decided against two more years of school earning dual credit in everything. I suspect he is getting burnt out on school in general, and when you add in an hour drive each way… I totally get it. We will continue one more year with the virtual academy (plus college) and he will graduate next May. 🙂

In the meantime, writing. Starting June 3rd, there are officially 12 weeks of summer. And 12 weeks which need to include some kind of writing (and honestly, some kind of math, but I haven’t gotten that far, yet) – partly because it’s a good habit, and partly because writing proficiencies are coming up in the fall.

So. Calendar. My life revolves around it. I use it for EVERYTHING. Including Summer Writing.

Summer Writing Calendar 1

Obviously this is no exception. Not only have I set up twelve Calendar Reminders, I’ve also included writing prompts (attached to each lesson).

Summer Writing Calendar 2

The lessons are geared to the Middle School/High School age, and of course, I’m totally willing to share (anything to help our human population become more literate!). Clicking the pictures should take you to the calendar. Alternatively, you should be able to add it here.

You can always adjust the dates to suit your needs. Don’t be limited by what I need. 🙂 Happy Summer!!!

Two Local Schools Fall Short On AYP But Perform Well In NV Growth Model

By Whitney Donohue

Moapa Valley Progress

Two of the four schools in Moapa Valley did not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as measured by the federal No Child Left Behind standards. Grant M. Bowler Elementary and W. Mack Lyon Middle School both were classified as Needs Improvement.

Ute Perkins Elementary was classified as Meets Expectations. Moapa Valley High School was classified as a High Achievement school.

AYP standards measure student test scores overall for the school as well as in a variety of student sub-groups. The sub-groups include students in the general population, students with disabilities, students with limited English proficiency, and students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. AYP measures the progress of each sub-group before giving a designation to the whole school. If any of the sub-groups falls short of the standard, the school does not make AYP.

AYP - CCSD 10-11

Both Lyon Middle School and Bowler Elementary actually showed significant gains in reading and math test scores. But because one or more sub-groups performed poorly, the entire school was classified as Needs Improvement.

AYP currently measures two areas as part of No Child Left Behind: proficiency of the students and the gap between where they are and where they are expected to be. The part that isn’t measured by AYP is the growth of the student. Most administrators feel this element is important to the overall picture of how the schools and students are doing.

In 2009-2010 Nevada brought a pilot program into the state called the Nevada Growth Model (NVGM). The Clark County School District has taken the reins of this program and, along with the Nevada Dept. of Education, has been developing it.

The NVGM measures a student’s progress from year to year, and compares the student to like students. This allows parents, teachers, and administrators to get a better understanding of how their student is actually improving.

NV Growth Model

“AYP gives kind of a skewed pictures of a school as a whole, because the schools are labeled as Needs Improvement if even one sub-group is not successful, even if all the other groups have made significant gains” said Mack Lyon Middle School principal Rod Adams. “The Nevada Growth Model is great for parents because it follows the individual kids, and compares them apples to apples.

“The model still has kinks that need to be worked out,” Adams added. “It is based on one test only, the CRTs, and if they change that test, it throws out all of our previous data.”

The NVGM does shed a different light on the schools that are participating (it is not yet available at the high school level). In both reading and math, the NVGM puts Mack Lyon in the High Achievement – High Growth quadrant, which is vastly different from the Needs Improvement label of AYP. This indicates that Mack Lyon students as a whole are doing quite well.

Paired with AYP, the NVGM is considered by many educators to be a better picture of the school’s successes, as well as the areas that need improvement.

Bowler Elementary also fares better on the Nevada Growth Model. The school is classified as High Achievement – Low Growth on reading and math. This quadrant suggests that the majority of students are doing well in the standardized testing. However the growth of those students hasn’t been as significant as it has for those schools in the High Achievement – High Growth quadrant.

Bowler principal Shawna Jessen is hopeful that the NVGM will help fill in the gaps that AYP leaves.

“We’re still in the process of learning how [NVGM] will work with our kids,” Jessen said. “What we have to do is use the tools we have to promote growth. The gaps portion of AYP is a non-equitable system. It is really hard to compare students who have professionally-diagnosed learning problems to children without those problems. That’s what we like about this (NVGM) model – it allows us to compare like kids – not exactly apple to apple, but pretty close.”

“We’re a good school working to be a great school,” Jessen added.

Ute Perkins also fares well on the Nevada Growth Model, falling in the High Achievement – Low Growth quadrant along with Bowler Elementary. This reinforces the fact that the school does deserve its Meets Expectations AYP designation, with no sub-groups failing to meet standards.

David Bobzien, Chair of the Nevada Assembly Education Committee, agrees. “In theory, the Nevada Growth Model makes a lot of sense,” he explains. “We are still faced with the problem of how you measure a teacher’s contribution to education when a child is tested. I think the direction we’re going is the right direction, but I don’t think we’ve worked out all the problems yet.”

The NVGM comes at a time when school districts across the nation are struggling to keep up with ever-more restrictive No Child Left Behind Standards.

White House Education Secretary Arne Duncan recently announced that the government would allow states to “opt-out” of the law if they submit a better plan to improve their schools’ performances. The waiver is good for as long as Congress remains gridlocked over how best to reauthorize the government’s operational law governing elementary and secondary education, which is looking like it won’t be addressed until at least the election next year.

Bobzien doesn’t see the NVGM as a replacement for No Child Left Behind, but he believes that it is a good complement to the law as it exists in its current form.

The current school year marks the second year the NVGM has been implemented across the district, however it is being implemented in school districts across the state.

More information on the Nevada Growth Model can be found at http://ngma.doe.nv.gov/app/public/index.htm.

In a Jar…

Across the blogosphere it seems like dessert in a jar is all the rage. I know I love it, anyway, and I have no problem jumping on the bandwagon. Since I can anyway, I always having canning jars around, so finding another use for them is right up my alley. 🙂

My daughter was visiting a couple of weeks ago (with my gorgeous grandson), and I made some Cherry Limeade Pies from Kristan’s awesome blog, Confessions of a Cookbook Queen for my weekly showing of Project Runway. They were a hit with everyone there, including my daughter, who promptly went home and made them for her family.

cherry limeade pies in a jar

My daughter's Cherry Limeade Pies in a Jar

Anyway, now the both of us are consumed with desserts in a jar. My daughter called me with a ton of ideas about Strawberry Shortcake in a Jar, which is funny, really, because she doesn’t even like strawberries.

And I have a food column for the paper. Which actually causes me to think about food all the time. And of course, something in a jar was bound to show up there. That something is this:

pbj pies

Peanut Butter & Jelly Pies in a Jar

Peanut Butter & Jelly Pies in a Jar
As the dawn of the new school year approaches, I’m consumed with the idea that the start of school should be fun – something to look forward to. Those of you who know me know that my son is e-schooled (the interesting hybrid of public school and homeschool), but as with many of the kids in the valley, he dreads the start of the year and the push of structured knowledge.

Which is to say – he really isn’t looking forward to it.

As far as food and dinner goes, summertime seems to encourage my family to relax about dinner time and structure. In line with getting back into the routine of school, we have to work our way back into the routine of a set dinnertime. And part of that, for me, occasionally includes a fun dessert. Dessert in general is something that I don’t include on a regular basis; instead, I tend to save it for holidays and other special occasions.

This particular dessert was conceived as a way to celebrate the advent of the new school year, with a fun play on the traditional peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I served mine in canning jars, partly because I have a lot of them (I’m somewhat obsessed) and partly because they’re an easy way to provide portion control, and finally, because you can bake in them.

  • 1 cup shortbread cookie crumbs (about 6 Sandies)
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 3 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • ½ a 7 oz jar of marshmallow crème
  • 1/3 cup milk, half & half, or whipping cream
  • 1 (8oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp jelly (your choice – I used a strawberry balsamic jam)
  • ¼ cup chopped peanuts
  • 6 (8 oz) widemouth canning jars

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter together. Divide evenly between six canning jars. Tamp crumbs down to make a shortbread cookie crust. Place jars on baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Spoon one tablespoon of jelly on to each crust, spreading to cover crust.

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, peanut butter, and marshmallow cream. Mix together until smooth. Gradually add milk, whisking until smooth. Fold in half of the frozen whipped topping, reserving the remainder. Spoon filling evenly into each jar over the jelly, spreading evenly.

Top each jar with a spoonful of the remaining frozen whip topping. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the top. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

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Local Youth Rides At Moto-Cross National Finals

By Whitney Donohue

 Moapa Valley Progress

bmx1

Local resident Alexis Schraft, 11, recently attended the 36th Annual Ponca City Grand National Finals Moto-cross Championships, which was held in Ponca City, Oklahoma July 24-30.

Alexis has only recently started competing in Motocross. She competed in her first race in January of this year as part of the Wild West Series of Races.

Schraft has been riding since the age of seven, when she received her first bike. Her father got her the first bike so they could share a sport that he loves. Since that time she has ridden three different bikes.

Schraft’s season ends on Labor Day with a final race in Salt Lake City.

Scraft currently races in two divisions: Beginner’s and Women’s Class (under 14). She is leading in both classes. The annual competition is one of the biggest on the US calendar with more than 2,200 riders.

Alexis Schraft finished 9th overall in women’s class at the Ponca City Grand Nationals.

In Ponca City, Schraft raced in three classes: the 85cc stock class the 85 mod class and the 65cc and 85cc women’s class.

She finished 9th overall in the women’s class, and 29th place overall in the entire event.

“She did a really good job,” said mother Justa Schraft. “It was a neat experience and a lot of fun for her to participate in such a big event like that.”

As is often the case for Oklahoma in late July, it was hot and humid with temperatures reaching 106 degrees by mid-day.

Fellow racer Isabell J. Koob died Wednesday after she was injured in a crash during the Ponca City Grand Nationals. She fell off of her bike and was struck by another rider.

Schraft will be starting middle school this year, and she will be doing so with a solid year of racing under her belt. She plans to continue racing next year.

“We had a lot of support from local businesses and friends and we just wanted to say thank you to them,” added Justa Schraft.

Local sponsored include Overton McDonalds, Sugars Restaurant, Anvil Masonry, and Lins Marketplace