On This Date in 1999 (April 17)

Yesterday was report card day. JoAnna and I have been a little concerned about Andy’s schoolwork. Last week he brought home a “Math Progress Report” for the third quarter. 

                                                   Unit 7 Unit 8 Unit 9 
Daily assignment average (60%)         48       84       63 
Test average (40%)                            82       96       81 
Overall unit score                              62       89       70 

Unit 7 covered coordinates, area & circles. Unit 8, algebra concepts & skills. Unit 9, fractions & ratios. His final grade for the quarter: 74. For some reason, he fell down on his homework during the 7th and 9th units. In fact, midway through the quarter, Mrs. Ball, Andy’s teacher, telephoned me to express her concerns about Andy’s suddenly cavalier attitude toward his school responsibilities. He wasn’t noting down his homework each day in his assignment notebook. Consequently, he wasn’t handing his homework in on time. I started to get suspicious before this incident, when Andy always answered my question, “Did you do your homework?” with “I don’t have any.” The three of us – JoAnna unable to get away from her office in the middle of the afternoon -- met a few days later and that seemed to be all the incentive Andy needed to dump his bad attitude. 

So anyway, we knew that Andy was getting at least one “C” on his report card. JoAnna and I prepared ourselves for the worst. 

Yesterday Andy called me at the library as soon as he returned home from school. He was very eager to share the results of his latest report card. Even though I was working at the reference desk during a busy part of the day, I told him, “Well, tell me how you did.” 

No wonder he was pleased with himself. 

His other grades include: 

• Reading B+ 
• Spelling A- 
• Language Arts B- 
• Social Studies A 
• Science A-

He even read me the note that his teacher had written: Andy has made a real effort to apply himself and organize materials, finish work on time and use class time for assignments the last part of the quarter. Keeping working, Andy! Andy had an ulterior motive for his call, of course. 

“Dad, can I have my Playstation back?”, he asked with proper deference. 

“That’s a family decision, Andy,” I responded. “We’ll talk about that later today when Mom is home.” 

I’m perceived as the easier touch, so the boys are never too happy when Mom is added to a decision-making equation. If you recall, Andy’s punishment for his temporarily poor attitude at school was to be denied the aforementioned electronic game and the possibility of any sleepovers. Last night we negotiated the following terms: the Playstation will be available from Friday afternoon (as long as all homework is completed) through 6 p.m. on Sunday. I’ve been keeping the Playstation equipment in my office at the library. In that way, Andy can’t “cheat” and use it when he and Eddie are home alone after school. 

Eddie also brought home a good report card. His teachers are very pleased with his progress in reading and language arts, where he is in a modified, i.e. special education, program. In a “Project Read Assessment”, an attachment to his standard report card, he received achievement grades of mostly S’s, for Secure (child can apply the skill or concept correctly and independently.) In the two areas where he is graded on his regular classwork – Science/Health and Social Studies, Eddie received the highest grade possible: S+. In the Individual Development section of his report card, most of his evaluations are S (for satisfactory). His one problem area is a result of his perfectionism, “accepts constructive suggestions.” For the first quarter, he received an “N” (for needs improvement); then an “I” (inconsistent) for the second quarter; and now a “P” (progress shown) for the most recent grading period. At least he’s making steady improvement here! 

As I noted in my journal yesterday, Madison must have hosted a joint conference of the American Meteorological Society and NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws). Snow? What snow? The feel and sounds of spring were in the air yesterday. I started to clear away some of the debris in our expansive bed of perennials along the south side of the house, serenaded by the constant buzz of lawn mowers in the distance. Although it was overcast through most of the day, the clouds had dissipated by the late afternoon so that I needed my sunglasses when I drove Eddie (west, into a blinding sun) to his soccer practice. 

Right now it’s time for me to get out of my sweaty exercise clothes and into the shower. Andy plays his first soccer game of the season this morning and needs to be on the field in 45 minutes. Later today I may decide to start my semi-annual window-cleaning chore – and that’s the best word for it, although listening to a book on tape helps the time pass quickly -- since there is only a slight chance of rain showers predicted for later today.

On This Date in 1999 (February 6)

The boys brought home great report cards this week. JoAnna and I had some doubts about how Andy was going to do – he never seems to have any homework – but his second quarter grades demonstrate that he’s been keeping up with his assignments, for the most part.

Here’s a comparison of Andy’s first and second quarter grades:

Subject             1st 2nd
Reading              B- B+
Math                  B- B
Spelling              B  A 
Language Arts    B  B
Social Studies     A  A
Science              A- B+

He improved his grades in three subjects, but went down ever so slightly in science. Too bad he couldn’t have maintained that A-. Within each subject, students are rated on areas where strength is shown (+), areas where progress is satisfactory (o), and areas where improvement is needed (a check mark – I can’t find the symbol in any of the font styles). Under Reading, four of the five boxes have a plus sign. In Math, he has a check mark with a plus sign for “understands graphs and tables”, “can solve story problems”, and “completes work on time”. Mrs. Ball, Andy’s classroom teacher was not sure what that combination of symbols meant. The three 5th grade classes at Elm Lawn are grouped according to ability for math instruction. Andy has Mrs. Wellman for this subject. Actually, his only solo check mark is found under Language Arts, “completes assigned work on time”, which was a big problem with Andy in 4th grade, an area where he has shown great improvement. Under “Individual Development”, which addresses classroom behavior and social skills, he received an “S” (for satisfactory) in all categories except one, where his effort grade = P (for Progress Shown). No surprise here. “Shows self control.” After all, he has some Richard blood in him, although this attribute could easily be traced to his dad. I certainly lacked self control in Mrs. Duff’s second-grade class and, occasionally, during those marathon wiffle ball games at the Jefferson Street schoolyard.

At a conference with Andy’s teacher on Wednesday, Mrs. Ball had only good things to report about his academic achievement and classroom deportment. Last year Andy had what I can only describe as an attitude problem, and I wonder if it had to do with the fact that things didn’t really seem to click with his teacher. JoAnna and I thought he might have leap-frogged into his sullen teen-age years. He didn’t turn into a model student at the beginning of fifth grade, but so far this year, he is swiftly moving in that direction. This past week, he actually read two books on his own, i.e., not because he had to write a book report for school, going to his bedroom on his own around 8:15 and reading for an hour.

When I first looked at Eddie’s report card, I let out an audible gasp.

Oh my god, I thought, we have big problem here. Eddie has three “D’s”.

Upon closer inspection, I discovered that second graders receive different achievement grades than 5th graders.

Here’s Eddie’s scale:

B = Beginning. The child is working toward completing tasks independently and showing understanding of the skill or concept.

D = Developing. The child shows some understanding and independence. S = Secure. The child can apply the skills or concept correctly and independently.

M = Modified program (such as the special education reading and language arts classes that Eddie takes.)

Once I processed this information, I quickly realized that Eddie is having a great year academically. Here’s how his grades stack up:

Subject           1st      2nd
Reading           M/B   M/D
Language Arts  M/B   M/D
Spelling            M/B   M/D
Science/Health   S+      S+
Social Studies    S+      S+

Under Reading, he received a check mark (needs improvement) for “reads fluently”, although here, we have noticed at home, he is making great improvement. I checked out from the library some easy reader books for him last month, titles by highly regarded children’s authors (Arnold Lobel, Lillian Hoban), and he has been enjoying them immensely, eagerly reading and re-reading them, which has really improved his confidence and fluency.

At our conference with Mrs. Magnuson, Eddie’s classroom teacher, and Mrs. Hoskins, his reading teacher, we heard nothing but high praise. Mrs. Magnuson said that Eddie has made great strides both scholastically and socially. She mentioned that he has such wonderful comments to add to the classroom discussion, especially in science. His reading teacher says he’s made such great progress this year that she wants to move him up with the small group of 3rd graders she works with. When we talked to him about this, Eddie had some initial reservations, most notably, leaving a group of kids he knows (and has been able to routinely outshine, which may or may not have anything to do with his decision-making process. Just something that popped into my mind.)

In other areas of the school curriculum, Eddie also received excellent reports. Elm Lawn’s art teacher noted that “Eddie is doing very well in art class, very outstanding drawing skills.” The school’s music teacher noted , “singing tonal patterns so well in tune”.

Middleton gained a measure of revenge against Sauk Prairie by winning their 10th game of the season yesterday, 31-21. The game was actually much closer than the final score indicates. Andy didn’t score any points, but he played great defense against an opponent who was at least three inches taller than him.

Eddie’s been sick all weekend. His fever has been as high as 101 degrees. He seems to be doing a little bit better today, so we hope he’ll be able to attend school tomorrow. He’s spent the weekend in our bedroom, watching TV, drinking orange juice and water, eating toast and cereal. He slept with Mom last night, since we wanted to keep a close watch on him. I slept in Eddie’s bed, which made me feel as though I was a single man again.

JoAnna’s parents called last night, but we didn’t have much of an opportunity to talk to them. We kept losing our connection. It was our first contact with them since they first arrived in Arizona. I told JoAnna this was going to happen. She gave her parents about $800 at Christmas to go towards the rent for an apartment in a more accessible area of the Phoenix metropolitan area, as opposed to the remote scrabble of sand where Alice’s twin brother lives, where their trailer accommodations are located. JoAnna was livid after the second disconnect. Because of her dad’s previous stroke, she worries about another medical emergency and how quickly he could be attended to. Where Larry and Alice are staying now, 2½ miles of washboard dirt road from a main highway, he’d be at the mercy of the angels. Ever since Alice first announced last October that she and Larry would be spending the winter in Arizona, this has been a sore point between JoAnna and her Mom. It almost seems as though the bond between twins – Alice and her brother Albert – is stronger than the bond among family. I stay in the background on this one, even though I think Alice is taking advantage of the situation. Isolation is not a word in Larry’s vocabulary. He thrives on interacting with people and where they live in Arizona is a mecca for hermits. 

Stay tuned for further reports.

On This Date in 1999 (February 4)

I’m slowly cobbling this letter together.

The area around the computer is becoming increasing cluttered, almost to the point where it’s becoming a barrier to accessing this side of the family room. I suppose this is one of the hazards of working at home. JoAnna spends most of the day positioned between the computer desk and our old dining room table. The latter piece of furniture is covered, in no particular order, with papers, a hanging file, a fax machine, a calculator, legal pad with a to-do list filling an entire page, cordless phone, stapler, coffee cup and coaster, reading lamp, scotch tape, paper clips, a UW mug filled with pens, pencils, and a pair of scissors, a pencil sharpener, post-its, a yellow highlighter with a blue cap, and scrap paper for jotting down notes during the dozen or so phone calls that JoAnna receives during the day. JoAnna may be well-organized when it comes to the big pictures, like organizing Shirley Abrahamson’s campaign, but work space tidiness does not appear to be one of her strong points. 

Eddie brought his report card home yesterday. When I first looked at it, I saw a couple “D”s and almost let out an audible gasp. This is terrible, I thought. After a closer inspection, I discovered that a different system of evaluation is used by teachers in the lower elementary grades. A “D” on Eddie’s report card is short for “Developing”, which means that “the child show some understanding and independence”. This is the grade that Eddie received in Reading, Language Arts, and Spelling and is an improvement over the “B” (“Beginning”) he received in these subject for the first quarter. (“The child is working towards completing tasks independently and showing understanding of the skill or concept.”) In his two other subjects, Science/Health and Social Studies, Eddie received S+’s, the highest possible grade. At our conference today, his teacher said that he had made wonderful improvements both scholastically and socially during the first hal of the school year. We’re very proud of both our boys. They are doing very well in school this year. 

Hope to hear from you soon. Happy Valentine’s Day!

On This Date in 1999 (February 2)

We have sunshine, the snow is melting, but I’m sure it’s not nearly as warm here as it is in Arizona. The sky didn’t clear until after the groundhog had made his appearance, which means he didn’t see his shadow when he poked his head out of the ground and an early spring is in store for us. I’ll believe when I feel the 60-degree temperatures in mid-March.

Teacher conferences are scheduled for this week, to follow up on the end of the second quarter of the school year. Andy brought home a very good report card last Friday. Two A’s (Spelling and Social Studies) and two B+’s (Reading, and Science), and two B’s (Language Arts and Math). We are very proud of him and happy to know that any doubts we had about his schoolwork were unfounded. Since he never seems to have any homework, JoAnna and I became quite concerned about his progress this quarter. Andy hasn’t always been forthright with us about what’s in his backpack or take-home folder. We’ll wave a sheet of paper in front of his face, and he’ll tell us, “That’s not something we have to hand in.” The fifth grade teacher that Meaghan has is a big believer in homework, at least a couple hours a night, which I think is going overboard. Mrs. Wellman tells the parents that she is preparing their children for middle school. If she is giving them make-work assignments, she’s not preparing for much of anything besides drudgery. Obviously, Mrs. Ball, Andy’s teachers, has a different teaching philosophy.

We haven’t seen Eddie’s report card yet. I suspect that his teacher will share it with us at our conference with her on Thursday afternoon. I expect that we’ll hear good reports, though, from both his regular classroom teacher and his special education teachers. Eddie has made great strides in his reading during second grade. His behavior has improved also. We haven’t received as many reports about classroom disruptions and recess incidents as we did last year. I’m not sure how much of it can be attributed to the Ritalin he takes twice a day every schoolday – unless we forget to give him his morning pill, like a couple of times last week, to no ill effect, fortunately. From what I’ve read about it, the drug probably does help him stay focused. 

I think JoAnna is already into week four on the Abrahamsom campaign. This past weekend, Shirley asked her to be fulltime campaign manager, but JoAnna declined the offer. It’s very likely she’ll start working for the Department of Justice next month, and she absolutely positively doesn’t want to do anything that will force us to scrub our trip to Washington, D.C. If she accepted Shirley’s offer, she’d have to clear her schedule through the first Tuesday in April, which means, like last year, with the special election for Lynn Adelman’s senate seat, the boys and I could take a spring break vacation, but Mom would have to stay home and work. 

So what have you two been up to? Any traveling around? Have you seem Margaret and Earl or other Wisconsin friends who are wintering in the area? Albert called us this past weekend. “What’s the news?” I asked expectantly, even though I realized it was a few weeks before Cyndi’s due date. Al quickly assured me that the birth had not yet taken place. After a few minutes, I gave the phone to JoAnna. She and Al talked for nearly an hour. It sounds like we’ll be able to attend the christening in Pennsylvania, as it will be held on Easter Sunday, the next to the last day of our spring vacation. The boys don’t go back to school until Tuesday.

On This Date in 1998

Wisconsin’s great expectations are being dashed. At halftime, the Badgers are trailing Michigan 21-7, a touchdown in the last minute of the first half seeming to seal our doom. Tomorrow the TV-sports talking heads will gleefully point to the Badgers’ allegedly weak schedule and say,” I told you so.” Wisconsin should be able to reclaim their top ten status with a convincing victory against Penn State next week.

I turned the TV off at halftime, so it’s a quiet afternoon in this part of the house. Andy and Matt went bowling. Matt will be sleeping over tonight, which cancels out the movie date that JoAnna and I had planned for this evening. Eddie is over at Derek’s house for the first time this schoolyear. Last year, Derek called him practically every weekend, but something happened to cool their friendship last spring. Eddie must have been in one of his solitary moods. According to Andy, sometimes not the most reliable of source in these situations, Eddie abruptly, almost rudely, told Derek he didn’t want to play and hung up the phone without further comment, not even a goodbye. Until today, that was the last time Derek called, and no amount of prodding would convince Eddie to call Derek, or anybody else, for that matter.

Andy brought home a respectable report card yesterday, but one that leaves plenty of room for improvement. Here’s a list of his grades:

• Reading B- 
• Math B- 
• Spelling B 
• Language B 
• Social Studies A- 
• Science A- 

The only area where he received check marks (i.e., areas where improvement is needed) is in Spelling. “Completes work on time.” “Completes assigned work carefully.” Which is odd, since Spelling has always been one of his best subjects. The Reading grade is a bit disappointing, since here he is obviously capable of doing much better. Actually, now that I think about it, I’m not clear on the difference between Reading and Language Arts. Andy has made great improvement in the area of Individual Development, the part of his report card that evaluates his school and classroom behavior, a problem area for much of his elementary school “career”. He earned “satisfactory” marks in 8 or 9 areas, including “shows consideration for peers”, which had previously been an area where improvement was always needed. He received a “P” (progress shown) in “shows self control”. After listening to our encouragements to do better, he said, “Our teacher told us that the first quarter is the hardest.” He may not have realized it, but this remark automatically boosted Mom and Dad’s expectations for the second quarter.

Eddie brought his report card home last week. Although he doesn’t receive letter grades, he received a very positive evaluation from his teachers. The special education classes have resulted in a very noticeable improvement in his reading skills. We are very pleased with the progress he has made so far this year.

Just minutes ago, I quickly tuned in and out of the football game. Wisconsin is down 27-10 in the 4th quarter. The possibility of an undefeated season seems highly unlikely right now. I don’t think Barry Alvarez has a miracle in his playbook. I haven’t checked the other scores, but maybe this will be a weekend of upsets, which might help the Badgers in the standings.

Today’s weather can be described as sunny and breezy, unseasonably warm. I started to do some raking and mulching before the Badger game and will continue this task once I decide to take a pause from writing this letter. We had two days of intense winds – Tuesday and Wednesday – that stripped the trees of the few leaves still stubbornly clinging to the branches. Gusts of up to 60 mph were reported. I feared for our cedars trees along the edge of the driveway. The wind was bending the tops at almost a right angle. While I was home for lunch on Tuesday, the lights flickered a number of times, causing our new carbon monoxide detector in the utility room to emit a series of staccato beeps for 30 seconds, but, unlike other areas of Dane County, we didn’t experience a power outage. The power surge was so brief that I didn’t even have to reset the digital clocks.

On This Date in 1998

Only the stubbornest of leaves remained on the trees by Thursday. We had two days of very intense wind, enough to blow down trees, tip over semis, and cancel a West Middleton 5th grade field trip to Chicago. The weather is responsible for a great mystery as far as I’m concerned. Where did all the leaves go? Monday afternoon, before the big blow arrived, the portion of our driveway where I park the car was covered with leaves, and, even though we had raked the previous weekend, a fair number of leaves had once again settled on the front lawn. Mother Nature acted like a vacuum on Tuesday and Wednesday. Not only our yard but everyone else’s seemed to be swept clean. The back half of the open lot next to us had been a carpet of yellow and brown silver maple leaves. By Thursday morning, they had all vanished, except for those caught in the chain-link fence. Our front yard looked ready for spring fertilizing, as does everyone else’s in our neighborhood. The leaves couldn’t have just disappeared. Some folks in Middleton must have looked out their windows this morning with great consternation. Or maybe they all blew up to Two Rivers.

Thursday was a beautiful day. By early afternoon, the sky was clear and the air was calm. I walked home for lunch, ignoring the short list of groceries I was going to drive to Sentry to buy. I figured there was still enough lunch meat in the refrigerator for one more sandwich. And I was right. I was able to recharge myself for the rest of the workday.

Andy made the Tri-County 5th grade basketball team, one of ten boys selected out of the 22 who tried out. Almost half the guys are from his soccer and baseball and football teams this year. Ross, Johnny, Drew, Riley. The coach, John Strnad, was Andy’s soccer coach for 5 years, from kindergarten through 4th grade. The team had its first practice Wednesday evening and will practice for 90 minutes twice a week, Wednesdays and Fridays, between now and the end of the year. Their schedule of games, two per weekend, begins in January and runs through most of March, probably ending right before spring break.

Andy started to lose his little jelly belly and get a little beefier in the chest, as you noticed, during football season. Considering all the exercise he’ll be getting this winter, he’ll be in great shape by the start of soccer season. Running would be good exercise for Andy, but it’s an activity that he dislikes, based on his reaction to having to run the mile during gym class in school. Eddie received his report card last Friday. He seems to be doing quite well in second grade so far. His teachers are very pleased with his overall effort. The special education classes have allowed him to make some very noticeable improvement in his reading skills. He has homework (word recognition, spelling, and reading assignments) every night, and JoAnna and I work very closely with him. Andy gets his report card today. Based on the work he brings home, I think we’ll be pleased with the results, but I know that there is going to be room for improvement. Andy certainly has the ability to get straight A’s – his teachers at Elm Lawn have consistently told us that he doesn’t work up to his full potential – but he’s content to give his schoolwork a “B” effort. JoAnna and I don’t harass him about his grades. I’m sure my wife was more competitive gradewise, but I, too, was usually content to settle for a “B”, not driven to sacrifice other activities to achieve straight A’s. As I have come to realize, the grades you earn in school are only a small part of the picture as far as determining success in life. What I want Andy and Eddie to appreciate is that learning is a lifelong experience; it doesn’t end when you are out of school. (Sounds like a librarian talking, huh?)

JoAnna is still catching up on all the sleep she lost during the long election campaign. Last night, she wrapped herself in a blanket and watched TV while lying on our bed. I checked in on her a few minutes after.   Frasier was playing to an empty house. JoAnna was sleeping peacefully, obviously to Kelsey Grammar’s and David Hyde Pierce’s nattering. (I’ve always thought that Frasier was a more tolerable character in a supporting role on Cheers.) Shortly after 8:30, she wandered from the bedroom to the kitchen, the blanket still wrapped around her.

“I’m going to bed,” she informed me, as if I didn’t already know the direction in which her evening was heading. “I’m sorry,” she said at least three times as I escorted her back to the bedroom.

“There’s nothing to apologize about. You deserve to take it easy. Don’t worry about it. I’ll get the boys to bed and then I’m going to read for awhile.”



She was actually awake when I went to bed at 10:00. I tuned in a showing of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn on the American Movie Channel. I listened to the recorded book version a couple months ago and really enjoyed it. Jo lasted through the first 10 minutes of the movie, and I must have dozed off a couple times during the hour that I tried to stay awake. I found the pace a little plodding.

Hope this letter finds both of you doing well. We send you our love.