Packing up the Computer Lab

Well, now that we got computer testing over it was time to pack up the school to get ready for a big move this summer. I really don't want to leave this school, but my two labs at the other school will be right together connected by a door. That will be nice. But I will miss our cubicles for each computer in this lab. Our new lab will only be tables. I think we also get a sink in the new labs too. It's always good to wash hands after touching all the computers that the kids have touched. We go through alot of hand sanitizer. Any way a packing I will go.

To start with I tore down the Chorus Lab with all the laptops and wrapped them in plastic wrap 4-5 together.

I spent some time in between doing other things loading boxes up here and there with all of our junk.



I then had to wrap each computer up in plastic wrap. (33 of them). That was actually kind of fun and therapeutic.

The lab is now ready for the call to come to say that the new school is ready. Hopefully in July is what they are telling us. I hope their right. I don't want to unpack all this if school starts before the school is done. AHHHHH. I'm sure the teachers would hate to unpack also. Cross your fingers that the school will be done in time!

YAY Testing is OVER!!!!!!!!!

We did our last testing season at school with NWEA for this school year. I was set up in the Chorus Lab running the 3-6 graders through. This testing season was a little more complicated than the other testing seasons. Because we are piloting a program for the state to possibly replace the core testing, we had to combine a core testing along with the NWEA adaptive test. This made the testing alot longer than the normal testing time. There were also alot more technical issues than we usualy encountered. I'll have to say it was a very stressfull testing season for me. (Not to mention all the other technical teachers). So, when it got down to the last class testing.....I was so excited that we did a little celebrating towards the middle of testing. I was feeling so relieved!!.......until.........5 min before the testing was going to end for the whole school.....bam everything froze! We couldn't upload anything, we couldn't restart test....everything just went poof! So we ended up setting up another testing time for those who didn't finish the next day after everything reset. I could go on and on and on about all the technical issues we had but lets just say...I AM SO GLAD IT IS OVER!

Here are some pics of the class that I thought was going to be the end.
I had to take this pic of Steph. She was having stress on this science test. She sat and pondered one question for about 20 min.
Needless to say, she survived testing also.

My New Baby

Ok, so it's not a real baby and I'm not making any announcements to have a baby (I'm way to old for that now!), but I did get a new toy. Yay!!!! My new computer. We have known for quite sometime that we needed to replace our computer but we weren't quite sure which one to go with. We have been weighing out all of our options and trying to decide what would be best. Since I have been working at the school and working with the Apple computers I have been swaying back and forth rather I am a PC or a Mac. Well....guess what ........in the computer world I came to the dark side......the Apple side. Which in my view is the bright side. I honestly have loved working with the Macs at school. I didn't think I would, but the more I worked on them the more I really enjoyed them. But to top it off I got the best of both worlds. The Mac I have will run Apples Leopard OS and it will also run Windows. So in all seriousness I have two computers in one. But now I have to way my options to see if I am going to let anyone else use it.........hmmmm they can all still use the slowed down virus infected computer can't they. I'll have to give this one allot of thought LOL.

Settled Back into School

Yes, I think the girls/women in this family have finally got the school routine down. This has been a different year for us. I now have one in Juab High School, one in Juab Jr. High, and one in Nebo View Elementary School. And then there is me, working as a Computer Tech in the Nebo View Elementary School. I think we finally have our system down and working. Like I said, Mike is in high school this year as a Freshman. It was a rocky start for her. She had a hard time adjusting to the environment there, but I think things are getting better. She is on the Spirit Team this year and is required to attend certain games. She likes it though. Along with her high school activities she is again taking on her dance classes including Dance, Technique, and joining a Dance Company where she will be able to compete. She is still continuing with her guitar both taking lessons and teaching lessons. Here is a pic of Mike walking into the high school. She was to embarrassed to turn around and smile.

Sam Is loving Jr. High. She loves having different classes with different people. She says it is so nice not to be in the same class with the same girls for 8 hours a day. (catty girls might I add.) It has been great for her and she has grown so much.........in spirit and size. Sam loves art at school. She has really enjoyed that class. She is looking forward to any sporting event that she can join. She is hoping to make the basketball team this year. And again she will also be continuing her piano lessons with my Aunt Darlene who is an awesome piano teacher! You can't get better than her. Sam will again be pairing up with her partner Madason. Here is a picture of Sam at the Jr. High. She let me take her picture, but it was a "hurry mom this is so embarrassing".

Steph is in the 4th grade now and loving her class and her teacher Mrs. Hoaldridge. She has a huge class this year. In fact when they come to computers they leave only 3 computers empty. If they happen to pick up more than 3 students this year.....well we are out of computers for them. She is doing so good in school and has been so good to come home and do her homework and read and also study her spelling words. She is really trying so hard this year. She is very excited to be able this year to take tumbling. Last year she didn't want to do anything like dance, tumbling, and such. We tried her doing guitar last year with Mike, but Mike and Steph together was not a good combo. Here is Stephs pic in front of the elementary school. Notice, she is more than willing still to have her pic taken. She wasn't even embarrassed.

Then there is me. I am working still in the compute lab. I love this job. This year they finally got my name above my classroom. Last year I was Mrs. Laird all year. It's probably a good thing that the kids don't pay attention to that. I share the lab with Ruth Knowlton. I work Monday, Wednesday and every other Friday and she takes Tuesday and Thursday and every other Friday. We have 16 classes coming in twice a week. Next week we start our NWEA testing. This is a testing system that our district along with 2 other districts in Utah are piloting. Nebo View Elementary was able to start this testing out last year. So we have a head start on it. They are hoping that this will replace alot of the odds and end testing they the schools are required to do all year. One of the test that we do not have to do this year is the core testing. It is a neat test. So I hope it will be a keeper. Here is me at my desk in the lab. Mike got to get even with me. She took that picture.

Hey look it's my name! I'm not Mrs. Laird anymore!

Here is my classroom.

So yes, we are back to school full swing My hope is that it will continue to be a good year and get better each day.