Our Little Star

This week, students all over California are taking the state-wide test called Star, which helps somebody to rate the schools each year. The Star test sets a lot of the standards for school curricula. Teachers have to make sure that their students are ready for it, and they take some time each year starting with the second grade to prepare for it.

I could care less how my daughter does on it and told her so. We're just going to continue doing school as normal and forget what the government mandates with their one-size-fits-all standards. As a typical first-born, I have to wonder where that attitude comes from. Must be from the husband, who is the rebellious younger child, and all his brain-washing.

This is my daughter's first time with the Star, so I had to give her a pep talk. I said something like this: if you do well..great, if you don't do well...great. The test means nothing.

Despite this assurance, my daughter was still nervous. She said,"But Mommy! I haven't studied for it at all! I don't know all the stars and constellations!"

She was also nervous because her teacher had told her it was a test for the state of California, and she thought that everyone in California would know how she did. I finally set her straight on the Star: the results mean nothing but it's good practice for bubbling in circles, which sadly my 20 year old students can't even do properly.

As it turned out, the first day of testing turned out to be quite eventful. Her front tooth fell out in the middle of the test. Now she has the other front tooth dangling there. Probably it will fall out on another day of testing.

She said the test was easy, she finished early, and that she read 3 books after finishing the test. I really think it was my pep talk that did it.

The cutest hillbilly ever