This week, we were at Allison Schoolwhere I got to visit with Esther Sullivan who was the secretary at Sierra View when I taught there. She’s retired but fills in as a sub when needed. My team of testers is just me and Jeanne McClaren.

Jeanne and I were also at Morey Ave which is only preschool, Head Start, and kindergarten. My testing space was just on the other side of a half wall from the “cafeteria.” No testing during this time for sure!Quote of the week, overheard as a teacher was taking her class out for recess. “Children, remember you many not go in the bathroom stall, lock the door, and crawl underneath the door to get out.”

Retired teachers have been hired again this year to help with the hour-long one-on-one California English Language Development Test for Transitional and Kindergarten students. Schools only have 30 days to complete the initial assessment for new students. This is a great job to have: the students are delightful and the day goes by quickly. This week I was at Madison and Castori Schools.Special moments happen every day. One girl say a song about Jesus to me right in the middle of the test. When presented with this page and prompted to “Say this word,” responded with “Giraffe, lion, elephant.” Although I had to bubble in the mark for Incorrect, I told her “Good job.” All language domains are tested, reading, speaking, listening, and writing.One of the best parts of this job is running into old friends, like Ethel Smart, who was my aide at Sierra View long long ago.