Interactions with Your School

"Holiday" Assemblies that are neither here nor there

feeds@yuku.com (Ann) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:06:00 GMT

This annoyed me last year, and it's back again this year.

The school insists on having an arts assembly in December, one of those mish-mash "Holiday" assemblies, where they talk and sing about all of the winter holidays. What a mess. They don't do justice to any of the holidays and make all of the holidays seem equivalent, that everyone celebrates one so take your pick!

I'm thinking of keeping my child home this year. We just started teaching our...

Expressions of Gratitude to Teachers

feeds@yuku.com (denpratt) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:35:46 GMT

A topic where you can share your expressions of gratitude to special teachers in your children lives.

Things are a changing in Wake County Schools.

feeds@yuku.com (SgtAmi) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:23:42 GMT

As many of you know, we've been dealing with Wake County's diversity policy for years. This involves numerous kids being assigned to schools on the other side of county in order to achieve economic balance. It hasn't worked because some schools like our magnet were still at 70% Free and Reduced Lunch. Every year kids get reassigned and some kids end up going to a different school every year. We had another big stink when some elementary and middle schools went mandatory year...

Parent Teacher Conference 2009

feeds@yuku.com (Purplecow7) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:06:30 GMT

25 minutes for dd 8 third grade - Teacher touched on every subject and how she was doing and what she needed to work on. Basically what we all ready knew. Test taking skills and she needs to slow down. The surprise was that she said dd needed to work on her spelling when she is writing. We had thought she was an advanced speller for her age. What it comes down to is that in her writing spelling is her weakest link. The other things she needs to work on more description in her...

Homework 2009-2010

feeds@yuku.com (DeepinTxs) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:38:07 GMT

I expected homework to increase this year for DD (5th grade) and it has somewhat. More surprisingly she's bringing home work in areas that have never come home before. She's had Spanish homework the last two weeks. That's a first even thought she's had it 4 times a week since K. She also had handwriting homework for the first time ever. Who knew to expect that in 5th grade! She's also bringing home textbooks for the first time to use while completing her work. I'd say...

Very discouraging conversation today....

feeds@yuku.com (captuhura) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:50:00 GMT

I was talking to a friend, both her DSs are on both of my DH's soccer teams. She and her Dh are MDs. She has 1DD in high school, 1 DD in middle school, 1DS in 4th grade, 1 DS in 1st grade, and a toddler. She was talking about how not challenging the middle school is. She said that she'd recommend if at all possible, to continue HSing to high school. She does think our high school is challenging BUT...... Her DD took AP chemistry. She only got 75% on her AP exam. This was w/ my...

Math placement and/or differenciation (Cross post in Math section, wasn't sure where to post!)

feeds@yuku.com (mabelen) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:37:20 GMT

My 8th grader did Algebra 1 last year in 7th grade, she was in the advanced math group and got straight As all year. We relocate to California and she is placed again in Algebra 1. Of course, they call it Algebra 1/2, so I assumed it would cover some Algebra 2. I did not question the placement... big mistake! Forward to second week of school and my daughter is complaining math is too easy, she is not learning anything new. So I ask her to look at her math book and she says she covered...

Meeting Other Parents at School

feeds@yuku.com (piraterose) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:56:38 GMT

I'm jealous on how some of you have a chance to get to know other parents at the school. With Elisabeth going to a magnet school - the odds of running into a parent with a child at my daughter's school - much less in her class! - are pretty silm and none, expect for at official school events or an odd chance of meeting one during my random volunteering. There are at least 5 elementary schools within a 2 mile radius of my house - none of the children in the neighborhood (that I'm...

TIPS for working within the school system

feeds@yuku.com (Purplecow7) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:49:48 GMT

A place to post - things we do to learn what is going on in the classroom or conversations that help us partner with the teachers.

Things I do:
1) Look through my child's desk or notebooks when I am in the class room and make comments about how organize she is become or wow she is starting to write so much...
2) Take pictures of my child in the classroom to include things I wanted to write down but did not have the opportunity. One time I took a picture of ds near...

Principal - meeting

feeds@yuku.com (Purplecow7) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:15:58 GMT

Dh and I met with the Principal of our school today. (school starts in two weeks). Last year dd second grade teacher kept promising us that all her work would come home at the end of the year. Well the end of the year rolls around and a small amount of work comes back and no and I mean no corrections on her papers. Well lets see, spelling test graded, math test graded. (the only work we received was 9 test NO worksheets none nothing nada zip) and three writing assignments had a few...

I'm a teacher wondering...

feeds@yuku.com (Sea of Serenity) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:20:14 GMT

Is keeping your pupil motivated an issue? Lol, here are tips that helped me, if they apply at home. You never know.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1988398/5_tips_for_teachers_to_maintain_their.html?cat=4

Tracking?

feeds@yuku.com (piraterose) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:40:42 GMT

Pros and Cons to Ability Grouping (Also: Research on Ability Grouping)
How to level students by ability
Differentiation
Tracking

I've seen mentioned in other threads about...

Departmentalization in lower Elementary

feeds@yuku.com (piraterose) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:42:56 GMT

Anyone else experience this?

According to Elisabeth's school website departmentalization is the teaching model in which teachers elect or are chosen, based on their specialized training and/or their student data, to teach one or two subjects, Reading, Math, Science, etc., to several classes of students throughout the day. Teachers become subject matter "experts" and their students have two or more "expert" teachers during the day.

...

Teacher Assignments for 2009-10

feeds@yuku.com (captuhura) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:31:34 GMT

Has everyone gotten their teacher assignments for next year? I just got DS6, my rising 1st grader's teacher today. For those old timers at the board, he got DS9's kindergarten teacher!!!! You could have blown me over!!!! For the newcomers, I'm still dealing w/ the ramifications of my eldest son's K year ... lack of challenge, lack of stimulation, non-educational disney films EVERY Friday, tons of paper tearing. We decided not to loop w/ him to 1st grade and was so happy we did...

Curriculum Committees

feeds@yuku.com (denpratt) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:16:37 GMT

We have experiences and comments about curriculum committees scattered all about in other topics. this topic is to discuss how various districts deal with curriculum committees, your experiences with such committees, the extent to which they make sense and are effective, how to improve them, etc. etc.

School Parties and Food

feeds@yuku.com (Ann) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:47:05 GMT

School parties and the requisite cupcakes...

I have decided I am a minimalist. I don't want every single holiday to be celebrated with a party and a craft from Oriental Trading. I would rather that they focus on teaching my kid to read and write and do math. I would like to celebrate holidays at home. I think parties at school are redundant, diffuse the fun later on and are a waste of time and money.

Here are the parties they had this year:

...

Your kid finishes their work early/correctly...

feeds@yuku.com (curlyQ) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:29:52 GMT

what would you like them to be able to do in the classroom? (Assume for the sake of this discussion that they did an appropriate level assignment and just have 10-20 minutes to spare while other kids are working).

Surrender

feeds@yuku.com (Ann) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 11:44:15 GMT

Hi all, haven't been around here much lately.

We just finished up Kindergarten in our local public school. I had written on here how I was unhappy with so many things about the curriculum (invented spelling, whole language, lack of phonics, lack of formal handwriting instruction yet tons of writing, on and on). Homeschooling wasn't an option due to a few reasons, including my spouse's refusal. I've come to a conclusion that homeschooling is definitely not for our...

eCart Testing

feeds@yuku.com (Purplecow7) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 08:02:16 GMT

Does anyone know anything about eCart Testing?

Our school district uses it, I had thought it was just a standardize test that made sure the children were on target to take the SOL at the end of the school year. However, I just found out that my friend's son did not pass the eCart for reading comprehension and the school was going to send him to summer school. However the teacher did some addtional testing and found he scored better on the other test so he does not need the...

Pick up routine at school......

feeds@yuku.com (captuhura) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:37:30 GMT

If we have a thread on this, please point me to it. I'm too drained today to even think of a search term but wanted to write this up before I forget.

What is the pick-up routine at your school? DS5 has been wanting me to pick him up b/c if I do so, I have to pick him up at 2:15pm whereas school doesn't let out until 2:45pm. You can't park in front of the school b/c the buses start lining up at 2:20pm. But, they won't allow you park at the school from 2:10-2:15pm. If...