Final Exams

This week students around the area are taking final exams. Some schools have exemption policies for exemplary attendance during the semester, others are more traditional and give comprehensive exams to all.

Comprehensive finals exams are important because they help your child review the information learned during the semester. In almost every school they count for only one-fifth of the grade. They can hurt a student's grade, however, if they do poorly on the exam. They can also moderately raise a student's bad grade.

Please stress the importance of final exams and encourage your children to study as we enter this last week before the holiday vacation. If you value education, your child will value education, even though it may sometimes seem like s/he doesn't.

High school may be looked on as rinky-dink, but it is preparation for what awaits your child in college. Although times are changing to accommodate the lackadaisical American education system, most universities still give only a mid-term and final to their undergraduates. Professional schools, such as law school, give only one test per semester and that's the basis for the student's whole grade. This, too is a preparation for the challenges that await a person in life - it tests the mettle out of which a person is made.

Are there final exams in life? I think there are at every stage, and sometimes we flunk them. Fortunately those don't go on our permanent transcript.

Here is a great macaroni and cheese recipe to make this week as fortification against those hours of study your child will put in on top of work, sports, church, and extracurricular activities. Good luck!

Real Macaroni and Cheese
1 8 oz. package elbo macaroni, cooked and drained
12 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
Layer in thirds in a lightly greased 2 quart casserole: one part macaroni, then one part cheese, but reserve the last cup of cheese for later. Combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper; pour over macaroni. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining one cup of cheese. Let stand about 10 minutes to melt the cheese before serving. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, if desired.