Riley is going into the fourth grade in just a couple of weeks. He went to K4 and K5 at Arkansas Baptist, then first grade at Lawson Elementary, then 2nd and 3rd grade at Chenal Elementary. We wish we could have kept him at Arkansas Baptist but my move from bivocational to fulltime pastorate came along with a pay cut so we couldn’t afford the tuition any longer. However, this year the school is giving pastors a substantial discount so Riley is headed back.
Today is the day he is tested (assessed, they call it) to determine where he is in comparison to where they think incoming fourth graders should be. He was a little ahead of the public school students when he went from private to public so I’m expecting he’ll be a little behind going back into the private school system. Two of Riley’s years in public school were excellent; one year was not so much. Fortunately, that down year was not last year. He made up some ground in third grade that he had lost in second grade.
His mama is more nervous about the testing than Riley is. But it is what it is. Wish I had made him read more this summer. And work on his multiplication tables. Did you know they don’t call it that anymore? What I learned as “multiplication tables” Riley learned as “math facts.” A sign of the times? People aren’t interested in tables of information anymore, just give ‘em the facts as quick and concise as possible. Maybe it’s just that two syllables is easier than seven.
I just reconnected with a friend from fourth grade on Facebook. Tod Riley was at Dardanelle for just one year but he and I were good buddies. The playground had an old tree trunk (huge) laying on it. It was the favorite play place and meeting place. Tod and I spent lots of time there. I hope Riley makes friends and memories in fourth grade like that.
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