May 4, 2008. Chevy Chase, Md. The weekend.

Friday morning at the school was delightful. Mary Frances is in the second grade, and their class gave reports on Greek Gods. Each child made an oral report, using Power Point visuals outlining important points during their presentation. Togas were the order of the day along with prompts to go along with their speech. The children made their own Power Point presentation. Very impressive indeed. Mary Frances, for the record gave her report clearly and distinctly. The lady sitting two chairs over who did not know I was the grandmother, said to her husband " I could hear every word she spoke". My Mother would have been pleased. Now, I wonder why they did not have the children stand up on a platform. Mostly we were not able to see the faces of the children. They had the whole morning devoted to the Greeks. They had outdoor games of a lot of Olympic events, followed by a light lunch of Greek food. We had to hurry over to see Kate's presentation, so only returned for the food!!

Kate is in fifth grade. Their class made up original songs and music, set to poems of their choice. They all chose nursery rhymes. Working together in groups of four or five, their presentations were remarkable for their versatility and humor. Using many instruments along with singing, it was clear the kids had fun. Back in their class room they recited together the 139Th Psalm. Now, go and read it. It's long, all 24 verses long, and they did it very well. Memorizing is back in style. They played a game against the grandparents. " Are you Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? " is based on the TV program, which I have never seen, but it was fun and funny. All questions were from the third, fourth and fifth year courses of study. At the end, prizes were awarded as to whether or not you were smarter than a fifth grader. Kate is tall, but in this small school, there are five girls in the fourth and fifth grades who are as tall as her. Way to go girls.

Now I should just keep my mind shut and not make things better. I have already made a suggestion for Mary Frances' presentation. In Kate's class, the psalm was beautifully done, but would have been much better if there had been some solo speaking, or a few small group readings. The whole psalm, presented in the same tone and pitch becomes boring. And it is clear the teacher has never had any elocution training. It was a treat to see these 15 fifth graders memorize and speak the verses. But it would have taken very little more thought to have made the presentation better. I am pleased with the presentation, but I just can't help myself figuring out how to do it better. This is a trend in my life. No doubt about it.