Experiences with schools....

[PrincessFiona]

Let me preface this by saying that I woke up on the wrong side of the bed but I'm feeling really frustrated today regarding the schools.

Yesterday, my son brought home a sheet for me to sign (all students got one) that would have given him permission to have two portions of the main course/dessert, etc for an extra .95. Students would get both portions when they enter the lunchroom...they couldn't go up for a second helping later.

This just sort of flew all over me... childhood (and adult) obesity is becoming such a raging issue...and the schools are supersizing their menus? I've eaten at the schools before and the portions sizes seemed absolutely appropriate.....We should be trying to help teach our children portion control...not training them to overeat.

Andrew is still stuck doing 5+3 and we are a couple of months into the year now. All of the promises really never came to fruition and I feel frustrated..its' already November...I'm just so fed up!

To top off my rant we get tons of papers every day in their bags...I would say that they each bring between 5 and 10 pages home with them a day.....I feel overwhelmed by the paper chaos that is created!


pheeeeeeew....I feel better!

Kris

Kris, have you considered packing their lunches? Kristen (2nd grade) and Toby (1st grade) bring their own lunches to school so I know what they'tr eating. At first I highly encouraged them to buy their own lunches so it would one less thing I have to do in the morning. But they were only eating the dessert and throwing away the rest and came home starving. They prefer
bagged lunches although I'm not sure why - Toby mentioned once that they'd hurt my feelings if they bought.

What grade is Andrew in? Last year Kristen also struggled in math so I made some flash cards for her and it helped her immensely. She still doesn't enjoy math now but I don't think it's nearly as difficult for her now.

I totally know what you mean about the barrage of papers from school. Except ours comes once a week on Mondays. Kristen's teacher sends home all the work they did the previous week and I have to sign a paper saying I went over it with her. She also has to read 20 minutes every night and bring back a slip verifying that. As for Toby, his teacher sends home behavior report slips EVERYDAY that I have to sign. I spend a huge amount of time signing this that and the other every morning - it's crazy!

[PrincessFiona]

schools...

Thanks for listening to me whine

I feel so grumpy about it today for some reason. We were paper-bagging it for awhile and the kids really wanted to eat 'hot lunch' like their friends...peer pressure. I guess I'll have to rethink this.

I visited my daughter's classroom today and I guess what really bothered me was seeing the special ed teacher come in and work with her and another girl...we've worked so hard on her reading and I just felt depressed about it.

Andrew was doing multiplication and division this summer...he can add in the triple and quadruple digits...math is (or should I say was?) his thing. No one seems to care but me and I'm tired of pushing it. I really am.

As to signing things (whine, whine!!!) My daughter brings home a 'sticker marker book' each night. We have to read as much as we can (each story 3 times) and then sign the marker sheet ...Andrew brings home pink sheets that I have to sign daily and fill out how much time he is spending reading to us and practicing his spelling words each day...and then he also has a yellow sheet that records the same thing that we have to turn in weekly. I can't tell you how many times I've just had to write it out on a piece of paper because it falls off of the fridge and gets lost

Boohoo Overwhelmed mommy in MN.

Kris

[DCJenn]

Isn't there a way you guys can say "That's enough!" God, it seems so ridiculous. No wonder kids today are suffering from burnout and stress!

Jenn

[mommax3]

I know exactly what you mean Kris. I am NOT gloating, but just for future reference, since we put Luke in private school, the paper trail has decreased significantly....yet another reason we are happy with the choice we made. Don't get me wrong, there are still plenty of things that we have to sign, but not so much stuff to document that the kids are putting in the time at home.

I am sure that Finny will improve in time -- she sounds like she is on her own schedule and that is okay. Wouldn't it be boring if your kids were "average" ? Please don't get discouraged. Hang in there -- you are doing a good job and your kids are going to do fine in the long run. Get Andrew some math puzzle books to work on at home so that he can use his skills -- no one can take those away from him.

I think the deal about seconds at lunch is the most asinine thing I have ever heard, by the way. Are your letter writing days over? This sounds like a situation that deserves a letter if ever one did.

I know it can all be frustrating. Keep your sense of humor about it all, if you can.

Sally

Kris - Hang in there. I keep trying to tell myself that the schools are trying to do the best they can but ... I know it is frustrating. First, I think supersizing the meals is ridiculous. They get plenty now and I had the same problem when my kids had school lunch --- they would eat only a couple of things and come home starving. I think packing a lunch works better for us and it is cheaper if you buy things in bulk (i.e. drinks and snacks etc.) Of course, the time making them can be a pain as I got up this morning at 6 because I had forgotten to make the kids lunch!

The paper trail is amazing to me. I am really struggling to keep up with all three kids paperwork. I am signing multiple things every night. I am supposed to read anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes with each of my kids and each class has different criteria for that so I can't just read to them all at once or have them take turns reading to me all together. I don't have enough time in the day for all that I am supposed to do with them and I feel a lot of guilt. Zachary's teacher (I am ver happy with her!) called me the other night. This is the second time she has called this year. Zachary is really struggling with math. It just doesn't click. She is now sending home extra review work ever night for him to do. Tuesday night he did three hours straight of homework!!!! Poor kid. I am very grateful that she cares and doesn't want him to get behind. I feel bad because I haven't spent more time helping him all along even though I knew math wasn't a strong area for him. I figured he was doing okay until he got a 44% on his last test.

I also am signing behavior folders on a nightly basis and signing homework sheets. I understand the need for some of this and yet it seems like they could simplify some.

I hope Andrew gets the attention he needs to pursue his talent in math. I definitely would give him challenging problems at home.

Hang in there. You are doing great. You are at the school helping in the classroom and seeing what is going on. That is awesome. I honestly haven't been able to do that with my schedule and Dallin.

Robin

What grades are everyone's children in?

Well, then I guess this overload of paperwork and required reading is nationwide. I'm amazed though because I hardly remember my mom signing anything when I was a kid. I don't remember any required reading in elementary school either. Of course high school was a different matter. I do remember ridiculous amounts of homework and having to lug around what seems like a hundred pounds of books.

What gets me is here in Salt Lake City, Fridays are short days. They get out at 1:40 instead of 3:20. And I swear almost every month the teachers get at least 2 days of inservice or teacher catch up or conference days. In addition, if there's a holiday, the day before is also a short day. No wait, there's more! Some holidays like Labor Day and Memorial Day, the day before is also a holiday. Since when is the day before a holiday also a holiday? Except maybe Christmas Eve - but then some people still work then.

[PrincessFiona]

schools

My children are in second grade, first grade and preschool....

You guys are all so great...I was afraid that people would look down on me for complaining...

As to the holiday thing...I sure hear you about that...we have MORE days off than I ever did as a child. I don't understand why these education conferences can't happen a week before classes start or a week after classes end! I am very supportive of educators...It IS a tough job...but we have more days off than I know what to do with...here I am only 'working' two mornings a week for two hours and I can't even arrange that very well because of the teacher education days or days off before the holiday or after the holiday...

I guess...I just feel so overwhelmed that I'm not juggling anything well anymore... Confession: I sign Andrew's papers for the week all at one time...I don't bother to worry about accuracy. 8O I don't count how many minutes he reads each day ... I just write something...you see that there is a lot of value in that, right?? and I feel a lot of guilt about it and like a bad mother...AND I feel angry at a system that pushes paperwork down my throat. I need my life to be simplified. I already have my organizational issues 8) and the papers just add to the stress/burden.

You guys are right...when we were younger there were workbooks...it was so much easier to 1. see where we were at in the classroom and 2. keep things organized. Now there are just a bunch of meaningless papers that come home...I used to try and go over them with the kids..now I just open up their bags and dump them 8O and we have missed out on some papers because of this 8O .


As to the whole math problem...I talked to the principle today...and it all boils down to the fact that they don't have enough volunteers to staff extension labs/teach, blah, blah, blah. Now, forget about the fact that when I was in elementary school they had different levels in each room....there were the tigers, the bears, etc...and each little group was working at a different level of difficulty. They don't do that now because it is bad for a child's self-esteem (as if children don't know if they are struggling or excelling). Anyway, I am meeting with the principle and extensions teacher now to discuss me teaching math extension as a volunteer Honestly, I'm feeling a bit grouchy about it and I know that that is the wrong attitude......I feel like I'm just being stretched and pulled and that the only way that I can have my son's needs met is to meet them myself....and instead of feeling like it's such a 'wonderful thing' to volunteer, I just feel...TIRED.

I really, really feel tired. I'm just limping through parenting lately...only doing the minimum and really feeling...tired...

well, thanks for listening....

Kris