Nathan finished the 1st quarter of school and decided he didn't want to continue Chess Club. He got a discipline signature while in Chess Club because he drew a bad picture on one of the boy's papers. He said the boy had been bothering him and the Chess Club leader (who is also his Guitar teacher) wasn't doing anything about it. We told him that was not an excuse to do what he did. He really wasn't enjoying Chess Club, though. I think he was better than most of the other kids so it wasn't challenging enough. He got a second signature in his planner for horseplay. Supposedly another boy hit him in passing in between classes so Nathan ran after him to ask him why he hit him. Running was considered horseplay.
Nathan also struggled academically the 1st quarter, at least in Math. He ended the quarter with a D! Nathan has never got below a B in any class his entire life. It was quite frustrating. They got a new math teacher partway into the 1st quarter. Supposedly, the new teacher is fresh out of college. I sent him a message showing our concern about Nathan's grade and asked what we could do about it, even suggesting Nathan stay after school for help. He never replied. I then sent a message to the Vice Principal and also did not get a reply. When I sent a 2nd message to him he finally replied, but by then the quarter was almost over and there was not much to be done. He told me that this year they moved the 7th grade up 2 levels in math to Algebra 1 instead of just being 1 level up. Not sure why they would do that because Nathan said the 6th graders didn't get very good grades in math last year to justify such a move. The Vice Principal confirmed the whole 7th grade was struggling in Algebra so they were going to discuss to see how to go forward. The math teacher put in a bunch of grades in the system on the LAST day of the quarter and then replied to me the following day to tell me that he put more grades in the system and that Nathan was doing better in the class. I replied that he put all of the grades in on the last day of quarter which did not help us know how he was doing DURING the quarter and that his grade didn't even improve much because he still ended up with a D! Once again, he never replied. However, the Vice Principal eventually sent out a message to everyone saying that they decided to go down TWO levels for the 7th graders so that they will be doing actual 7th grade math. I thought this would take effect the 2nd quarter. However, they are still doing Algebra this quarter. Supposedly, they are making it a little bit easier, but Nathan is still struggling. As of this writing, he is getting a C in Algebra. Paul started going over the work with him and part of the problem is that Nathan is not writing out his work and not spending enough time doing the homework. He can no longer breeze by in math like he used to do. He has to do actual work and he's being too lazy. Anyway, I guess they will go down to 7th grade math in the 2nd semester so we will see how that goes.
Nathan ended Q1:
93.5 Social Studies
99.4 Computer Science
96 PE
95.71 Guitar
100 Russian
89.79 Humanities
85.55 Science
68.52 Algebra 1
91.1 GPA
So he still ended the quarter on "honor roll". Another disappointing part, though, was that he had all As going except Algebra up until the last week when they were "finalizing" the grades for the quarter. His Humanities went down from a 90.58 to 89.79 and Science changed from 100 to 85.55! That is why I hate that teachers put in so many grades right at the end of the quarter when there is nothing that can be done to improve them at that point and they can dramatically affect their GPA.
Nathan had been struggling in Guitar class, too, because he was one of the few who had never played before. We decided to buy him a guitar and get him lessons. He had his first lesson on 9/10. We have extended those lessons so every Saturday he has been going to his guitar lessons. He has a music concert coming up at school on 12/9. He is going to be one of the lead guitarists! He also taught himself how to play happy birthday on the guitar so I recorded him and sent that to grandpa on his birthday 10/18.
Nathan also joined the boys volleyball team at school. His first game was 10/27 at home against Legacy Casa Grande. They lost, but it was close. They lost the first game, won the second, but then lost the tiebreaker. Paul and I both went to the game at Sporting Chance in Tucson. Their next game was on 11/1 at Grande Innovation Academy in Casa Grande! I made the long drive to see the game. They lost :( They had another home game at Sporting Chance in Tucson against MASSA, their sister school on 11/3. They won! They lost the 1st game, won the 2nd and then won the tiebreaker! Paul and I were both at the game to see Nathan win! Their next game was on 11/7 at Desert Wind Middle School in Maricopa. I made the long drive again to see his game only to get there and be told that our school was having transportation troubles and may not show up. Luckily, they arrived 5 minutes late and were able to still play. Unfortunately, they lost. They lost the 1st and 2nd games so they didn't even have to play a tiebreaker. Their next game was on 11/10 at home at Sporting Chance against Red Rock Elementary. Unfortunately, I was sick that day and unable to go to the game. Paul went to his game. They lost again. They lost the 1st and 2nd games so there was no tiebreaker. They were supposed to have a game on 11/14 away at MASSA (in Tucson), but it had to be rescheduled because our coach was sick that day.
On 8/11, I went up to Mount Lemmon. I didn't go all of the way to the top, but I was just hoping to see some waterfalls. So then I made a quick stop at Sabino Canyon to see the water flowing there, too.
On 8/15, I went to Tucson Botanical Gardens, Green Things Nursery and Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens.
I went to Pima Prickly Park on 8/17 to see the barrel cacti blooming. At home my First Light and June Noon bloomed.
I went back up to Mount Lemmon on 8/22.
I went to Tohono Chul Park 8/25.
My June Noon bloomed again on 8/26.
I went to Reid Park Zoo 9/7.
I went to Tucson Botanical Gardens and Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens on 9/9.
On 9/22, I went to Sweetwater Wetlands, Reid Park and Reid Park Zoo.
I went to Tucson Botanical Gardens 9/28.
I went back to the Tucson Botanical Gardens on 10/3 to see the opening of Butterfly Magic. I also went to the Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens.
Nathan and I went to the Marana Pumpkin Patch Sunflower Festival on 10/6. This was the first year they were doing a sunflower festival. Unfortunately, we didn't spend a lot of time there because Nathan was getting a skin reaction from the sunflowers. The sunflowers were pretty, but they only had the one traditional kind. It was also expensive to go to it. It cost us close to $20 each to get tickets. They have a lot to learn from Apple Annie's who has a wide variety of sunflowers and it's free to see them!
I went up to Mount Lemmon to see if there were any Fall colors on 10/10. The colors were just getting started. What I didn't expect to see on the mountain that day was snow! I was coming back down and right by the one visitor center it was "snowing". The meteorologists called it graupel or sleet. It had rained on me off and on while I was on the mountain, but it was very surreal to see "snow". Right after I got out to take a few pictures of it, I went further down the mountain past Mount Bigelow and it turned back to rain.
I went to photograph the sunflowers at Apple Annie's on 10/14. It was nice to go by myself and take my time photographing instead of always been rushed by my family. They went to Apple Annie's on 10/1. I didn't go because I didn't think either of them really wanted to go. I thought they were just going for my benefit. When I said I didn't want to go they still went without me. They picked their pumpkins and bought some veggies to bring home.
Nathan's Fall Break was 10/15-10/23. We didn't go on a vacation due to Paul's health and his work schedule. Plus, we went to Hawaii earlier in the year which was an expensive trip. Nathan and I went to Odysea on 10/18 and ate at Grimaldi's. Nathan was excited to see the pufferfish at the aquarium. On 10/21, we all went up to see the Fall colors on Mount Lemmon. They were just about at peak. I don't think they were as good as last year, but it was still very pretty. We ate at the Iron Door while we were up there and had an enjoyable Fall day.
My June Noon bloomed on 10/27. I also went to the Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens.
Nathan was a Ghillie for Halloween. Unfortunately, he didn't try on the costume before Halloween so the pants were big on him and kept falling down. So then he was complaining the whole time we were trick or treating and said that next year he was dressing up. Whatever dude!
The next day, 11/1, I decided to make one more trip up to Mount Lemmon to see the last of the Fall colors. I am glad I went up. The colors were almost over and the leaves falling quickly off the trees, but there was enough to satisfy me.
I went to Sabino Canyon on 11/8, I took the tram up and walked down. There was some pretty Fall colors starting in the canyon.
I went to Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens to see the roses on 11/9. I then went to Tucson Botanical Gardens to see the butterflies again. Then I went to Reid Park hoping that the Rose Garden would be open, but once again they had it closed. They have half of the garden ripped up because they are replanting, but the other half looked good from what I could see from the fence. It's a shame they don't open it up so we can see what it is there. What is the point and having any of the roses if they don't let anyone see them?! While there I decided to try and find Woody, the wood duck. I finally found him! I had been there 2 times prior and couldn't find him so I was excited to finally see him.
Unfortunately, after going to Sabino Canyon on 11/8 and to the gardens on 11/9, I felt sick on 11/10. I had bodyaches, a sore throat, runny nose, I was hot/cold. I was in bed most of the day and took 3 baths in epson salt. I missed Nathan's volleyball game that day. The next day my bodyaches were gone, but it was still all in my head - runny nose, sore throat, watery eyes, sneezing. Eventually, most of that went away, but as of today the nose is still running. It's been a week so I am thinking it may now be a sinus infection.
Because I was sick, I also missed Nathan's Paper Airplane Flyoff at the Pima Air & Space Museum on 10/12. Nathan competed in his age group, but didn't make the top spots to continue on to the next round. In the family competition, I guess Nathan threw far, but Paul messed up.
