TEST WEEK....

Thank you all for a magnificent job this week .... to all of  you for your help and enthusiasm this week, we are so grateful.We haven't tallied the total scores yet, as we only finished at noon today, but Sally believes as a team we tested nearly 720 children..... we managed to complete all the grade ones by Weds, and finally finished the Grade 2's and threes at St Agnes earlier today. The photos are hot off the press!

I was involved this week, and I want firstly thank Sally James for all the wonderful work she has done for us over the last year: the new diagnostic tests for the grade ones, and the new Grade 2/3 tests, ensure that we can measure the progress our Shine children make very carefully. The centres ran the testing so smoothly and efficiently, thanks to magnificent systems which Carrie has put in place over the last couple of years.The links all did a hugely-organised-mind -bogglingly-fabulous job of keeping it all together, and to make sure no child was left unseen! And the volunteers.... thank you, thank you. An incredible TEAM effort! The centres run like beautifully, well fed fit, healthy children, and I feel like a proud parent whenever I visit!

St Agnes, 4th november 2010

St Agnes, Grade ones.... a few of the many hundreds of test papers we dealt with this week. 

Sally's very clear guidelines!

Our link at St Agnes ensured that all our learners got a Shine bookmark with the key 100 high frequency words on them: a lovely touch, thank you Ginette!

On that note, every time I go into centre I am reminded how much I enjoy the contact with the children, and how much I miss teaching. My favourite moment this week was when one of the little boys I was testing told me he had a book at home, and that it was a library book.... did i know the story? It was called Jack and the Beanstalk.... and very carefully, and faithful to the text, he told me the whole story...very, very seriously, and earnestly. By the time we got to 'Fee, Fo, Fi Fum,'I was was in love....! Here was proof that our programme gets to the hearts and minds of the children and their families. it just doesn't get any better than that.