End of the Semester

Instead of blogging, I spent 2.5 hours converting a released SOL test into Schoology. It was a lot of up front work, but I hoped it would save me time on the future back end. It might have been better for students to practice on the TestNav program, but without any way to verify what they were doing....Well, I know exactly what I would (or wouldn't) have been doing at their age.

Things ended quietly for the most part. For the kids, at least. I was consumed with chasing down stragglers and grading. The SOL was supposed to be Thursday. I was supposed to proctor it in person, too, but the Superintendent put us in Stage 1 again (Virtual only).

By Friday, I had 14 kids failing out of 55. With much harassment and work over the weekend (and even the following week!), 4 more kids passed. That left me with 10 out of 55 failing. 

I mostly feel good about that. 

If anyone came to class consistently, they passed. Five of the failures came to class less than five times between all of them. There was no way they could have earned a passing grade at that point. The five other kids had a chance if they pulled out all the stops and made an effort. I purposely assigned bare minimum participation grades 3 out of the last 4 days to make it easier, but they made their choice.

All in all, I think the semester went well for what it was. It would have been easier to connect with and chase kids down in physical school, but the last day of class there were kids who lingered and kept their cameras on. 

It's going to feel very weird next week. There won't be halls to see any of the old students in. I'll click a link and all new names will appear. The fresh start will be nice, but the connection piece will feel empty at first. 

Half a year in the (virtual) books. One more semester to go!

The Bitey-Face Game

I wish I had a gif.

I see some things so frequently I take them for granted. Then, when I realize I'm writing a post and need a video of something, I can't produce what I need!

Pockets has been playing a lot of 'bitey-face.' That's the game where he and another horse (usually Abby or Magic) stand on opposite sides of the fence and fence with their faces. They butt snouts and try to bite each other back and forth.

It doesn't escalate beyond that, because at some point the combatants remember there's an electric fence between them. They might get nipped by their opponent, but the fence will hurt for sure!

Which brings me to today's shock. The top two lines of the fence were down when I went out for morning chores.

I suspect Magic reared and a hoof caught it.

What's amazing, is none of the horses dared to cross the bottom two lines. They're knee high to an equine.

I stepped over the fence easily. A horse should've found it just as easy. 

Thankfully, no one did. They were afraid of the shock. It probably would've been okay if someone crossed the line, but sorting out the pecking order can cause injuries. We don't want any of our boarder's horses to get hurt!

Fixing the fence added an extra task to chores. I called Carrie and she spliced the wires while I turned off the fence and went about with the usual.

There's always something to do on a farm. Even a hobby one.

The Last of 'These' Posts

This is my last post about "Be aware of bias in where your get your information." I've done enough of them. I think it's important to point out, but I enjoy writing about other things much more. 

These following screen shots are taken the same day and within a minute of each other. I try to stay at the top of the page to show the headline and keep it consistent, but I did scroll down a little on a few if I felt there were back to back headlines at the top that made my point stronger.

CNN is very happy President Biden has been sworn in.

Fox news is not.

That's my impression, at least.

When I check the headlines at Fox, I feel like they're trying to say "Look how awful things are now."

And "Look at how crazy all these people are."

CNN tends to post things they feel are "Look how much better things are now."

With a dose of "Remember all those crazies? Look what's happening to them now!"

Again, note the timestamps. I try to peruse some news from each site since they both have so many 'exclusives.'

But I do weary of the obvious agendas.

I mainly check the news to make sure there's no immediate catastrophe bearing down on me and to stay abreast of any things that may bear down on my student's minds.

Not that many of my students read the news. They do see memes and repeat bad information sometimes, so I like to have at least an idea of what's out there. 

Personally, I like to scroll past the "agenda + clickbait" headlines and find the occasional gem.

It seems like my students get a lot more information off of social media. I'm friends with people across the political spectrums and I try not to click like on anything. I'm afraid if I do, Facebook will start editing what I see.

And I want to see what people say whether I agree with it or not.

I know where I stand on things. My own thoughts seem to follow me wherever I go. I find it helpful to see how others feel to have a better understanding of who's around me and how they view/process events. Sometimes I even learn a thing or two (...but most of what people post is what I'd call 'reactionary.').

Because of.....everything, I'm hesitant to accept 'news' I see on social media.

And don't get me started on comments on any widely shared public posts.

Even a simple meme can spout conspiracy theories.

Then there's an ensuing flame war.

Occasionally, someone who seems to have done their homework will reply with a well crafted response.

But the replies of everyone around that response illustrate that most people really aren't listening to anyone other than themselves. I've read responses that seem to agree end up 'yelling' at each other.

There are fun memes like this that I want to be 100% true...

But often the real world is more complicated. 

Star Trek got a shot-out for bringing attention to the issue in a fun way, but an article from NPR said that the humpback population had begun recovering when a international ban on commercial whaling took effect in 1966 (Star Trek IV came out in 1986). 

It feels like many people who shout into social media view "truth" as either A) what they want to be true is truth and anyone who disagrees 'the enemy' or B) truth is something relative and based on a person's feelings, thoughts, and preferences. 

Both sound exhausting. Either A) your 'truth' will keep being spoiled when the world reminds you you're not the center of things or B) everything constantly shifts around you and there's nothing solid to stand on.

I believe there is an absolute truth out there. I read my Bible to learn more about it and it gives me a solid foundation in these crazy times.

It takes effort, though. I feel like I've only scratched the surface and I still have questions. The Bible was written by many authors using different writing styles across many years in different cultures and languages. As a historical document, it's authenticity is unparalleled with more copies from more primary sources from closer in time to it's origins than The Iliad or other works of the 'ancient world.'

Maybe I'll take a class one day. For now, I just need to wrap up this post. 

DA-dum.....DA-dum.....dada-dada-DA-dum

Sometimes, you see something you should stop. But instead of stopping it, you capture it.

Tsuki was really interested in the last bit of waffle.

It was in her eyes....and soon her paw.

It didn't look like she enjoyed it.

But she went back for more!

At that point, we took the waffle and threw it away.

Do we want cats eating from the table? No.

Did it make Carrie giggle and chortle with glee? Absolutely.

We may have traded a future monster for some laughs and pictures....but I got a blog post out of it, too! That counts for something.

How Close is COVID?

Back in December, the mother of one of our boarders tested positive for COVID. She'd visited her mom recently and had to quarantine and test herself. The results came back negative and that's the closest Carrie, Shane, and I have come to the Coronavirus.

In person, at least.

Amongst the family, I heard that one of my cousins and her husband had a mild case of it. Jama was exposed and had to quarantine and test, but her results came back negative.

Professionally, a teacher I work with "caught it for Christmas." They didn't lose their smell or taste, but they said they had back pain, aches, and were tired. Their spouse caught it and lost some of their sense of smell.

Among the students, I know of two of mine out of 55 who have tested positive. One's a senior and had just moved out to an apartment. The coronavirus hit, the student lost their sense of taste, and they had to quarantine in a hotel that a local church group helped pay for (Their roommate had cystic fibrosis and they didn't want to risk staying around such a high risk person while positive).

Shane was supposed to visit Nana and Pop, but Cole came home from school Friday with a headache and low grade fever. He tested negative, but we all talked and pushed the pause button for now. Normal germs haven't disappeared, so I'm not overly worried. Shane was aghast. He'd been counting down days and telling his class all week that he was travelling, but it's better safe than sorry in this environment.

Cole had an elevated temperature Saturday night (99.8) and Tenley felt a little off after finishing Cole's waffle on Friday, so we postponed Shane's trip by a week. Cole got a COVID test during the week and it came back negative, so the plan is to drive Shane down this Saturday instead. He's already counting the days!

I got an email from the CDC last week that I'm part of Group 1B and eligible to sign up for a vaccination shot. My principal said, "The slots are going fast," and he wasn't kidding! I made an account the night I got the email and there's nothing available in January or February near me. I'm not in a huge rush to get the shot, but I would like to get it if I'm going to transition back to teaching in person.

Tuesday evening (1/26), we received an email from Shane's principal. His school was the first 'official outbreak' in an ACPS school.

"Dear Families:

As promised, when new information comes, I am updating you that the health department has decided to call our three COVID cases an outbreak.  This will show up on the online ACPS COVID dashboard soon.

The health department describes an outbreak as two or more COVID cases from a similar exposure.  The source of the infections in our three people cannot be confirmed, but since these cases could be related they have made this determination. 

The health department’s decision to call it an outbreak does not change our response.  There is no need for further isolation or quarantining of any adults or children beyond what already has occurred.  Those who were contagious are following health department guidelines in staying home.  This is eliminating any risk of the virus being transmitted in our school.  Nurse Fewell (Miss Viv) and I have been checking in with all of the affected families and will continue to follow up with them if necessary.

Please continue to monitor your health for any signs of COVID symptoms including:

Fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches, sore throat
Congestion or runny nose, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting
New loss of taste or smell

In the event you observe any of these symptoms, please contact your health care provider.

Please stay safe.

Staci England"

Out of 24 schools, Ms. England drew the short straw. That's got to be rough.

I checked the website...

...and a day later it was on there. 

So kudos to the school system for being open. We were notified on 1/26. Scottsville is listed as the 2 student infections being reported on 1/21. The weekend fits in there, so the school system waited a few business days to get their facts straight, but they didn't sit on it too long in my opinion.

Out of curiosity, I looked into two things. First, the number of cases.

Then I looked up the number of employees from the county website.

52 staff out of 2,514 total is an infection rate of ~2.1% halfway through the school year with the majority of the time being spent in Stage 2 and Stage 1. There have been 19 weeks of school and I think 5 weeks of that were in Stage 3. 

How many of those infections came from school? I couldn't tell you. I don't think the teacher I know is counted in the total, because their infection happened completely outside of the school system through family during winter break. We were teaching in Stage 1 after their quarantine window ended, as well.

Lots to think about. I like that I can find numbers and data to come up with my own conclusions about things. 

Also - I was looking up some stuff from my course last year and came across a video I recorded for some of my students when the pandemic first hit.

41 views! And some of those are probably from me checking out how many views I had. 

But the highlight is Shane's hair. I wish it was that short again!

Then There Were Two!

Shane was on the phone over the weekend when I heard him yell, "ONLY TWO ARE ALIVE!?"

The ant farm is in decline.

Shane suspects they overfed them and the excess food decayed and toxins took out the colony.

I say "suspects." Shane swears it's true. He hasn't seen them in a month, but magically he knows.

We've had many talks about facts vs opinions over the years, but the fact is Shane's still working on applying what we've talked about to his own thought process!

Monday night, Nana texted me to see if Shane wanted to name the final two. I love banter and word play, so I figured I'd share for your reading enjoyment.

For the record, Shane objected heavily to naming the ants "aunts," but Nana wouldn't have been able to hear him over Carrie and I cackling even if she'd be in the room!

Weekend Work

It was a busy weekend, but not with school work. Shane was supposed to go down to Nana and Pop's, but he ended up staying with us out of an abundance of caution.

Saturday, the weather was nice so Carrie and I put the gator to work. 

She came out after I had all the horses stalled for breakfast, I flipped the tines, opened up fields, and then she went at it.

Carrie was a little worried about driving around one handed (Her right hand/wrist is immobilized for the next 2 weeks), but she tore around well enough!

We just got the gator serviced, but I'm wondering how much they really did. I can still hear the front right wheel squeaking shrilly and the exhaust looks and smells like some oil may be burning off. 

We need to check on that, but for Saturday we also needed to finish what we started. I cleared the arena and Carrie dragged it. 

Then I tried to get some action shots!

Chores and gator work took a little under 3 hours from start to finish. It looked good!

Shane was already bummed about not going to SC, so we let him goof off with electronics for much of it.

The horses were bummed that we closed the fields. Carrie likes to let them recover for a day after dragging it. We're almost out of the 'older' hay, so we threw it out liberally to keep them occupied.

I got a shot of Eddy and Ernie laying in the mud for their Sunday morning siestas. 

Sundays are the one day I don't have to do heavy chores, but I end up down at the barn some. I was the one who hooked up the hot water for Amy and Laura, dumped poo buckets, etc. Carrie is the face of the barn, so she socializes and stays around whenever people come by. Such as when Jacqui came by to visit Pockets! Pockets did a good job working with her in the arena and should ship out sometime in February.

However, there were other things that needed doing. Rain was on the forecast and we needed to protect the new hay. Carrie bought a lighter, larger tarp this time. She wanted to run the nylon string from my homemade bows through the grommets to prevent too much force on any single one. 

We needed to take down the old tarps first, though. That was ladder work, so I didn't draft Shane.

I tried to keep Carrie from climbing, but "Mrs. Doesn't Know When To Quit" doesn't know when to quit. She didn't seem to overtax herself this time.

We got the tarp up as little flurries of snow started to fall around us. 

The wind still catches it like a sail, but we recessed as much as we could. Lots of trials and lots of errors, but maybe this time the protection will last!

There was one last big project of the weekend. It started Saturday evening (As you can see from the old tarps) when Carrie picked up a box. A BIG box.

I got it down solo, but I had to be smart about it! 

Saturday night, the box was in the garage. Sunday afternoon, I disassembled the bed in the guest bedroom we never use.

I opened up the box in the garage and hauled all the parts in piecemeal. 

After dinner (and tarp installation), I drafted Shane to help me put the elliptical together.

Shane asked why he had to (and it does make everything take longer), but I want him to be helpful rather than helpless.

He hummed, played, and (sorta) helped for a while until I told him he'd earned back some electronics.

The elliptical had taken shape by the time he moved on. And to be honest, I was getting frustrated with it! I figured it was better to let him move on, so I could focus.

There were several wires that were too short and required a left-handed installation. I'm right-handed, so I guess I got to feel what lefties feel in a righty world!

I finished Steps 1 through 3 Sunday night. That's right, this was only a 3 step operation.

Which is a blatant lie. This was "Step 4."

I took one look and said, "Tomorrow." It was all of the plastic covering bits, so the machine was functional as is if not as aesthetically pleasing as possible.

Carrie finished it Monday while I was in class. Loki and I came to check it (and her!) in action.

Not a lot of Shane pictures since he drowned his sorrows in electronics. I'd already told people he'd be out of of town so we didn't have any social events lined up. 

Overall, a productive weekend!