How Is Everyone Doing...

neverblushed · September 2013

...now that we're a few weeks into the 2013-2014 school year? What are you pleased with about your child/children's school experience this year? What seems less than thrilling? How have your kids changed since starting school again?

neverblushed · September 2013

Since I threw out the topic, I'll start:

So far the school year is going well. DD's history and English teachers seem to be really good. Her science teacher is so-so, and her math teacher seems like a dud. The most important things going on my my DD's life right now are social. The kids in her program go to New York for a week in October to film a documentary on an important person and a historical site. The media teacher let them choose their own groups, which created lots of drama in the kids' social lives. NEVER let middle schoolers choose their own groups -- duh!

I am really happy with DS's teacher this year. His 2nd grade teacher wasn't bad, but she didn't challenge them much. It took until mid-October for them to form reading groups! The 3rd grade team just seems more on the ball. Homework is more complicated this year, and it's collected and graded. It was hard to make him take hw seriously last year when the teacher didn't collect it!

It's "magnet application time" for both of my kids. DS is applying to the elementary magnet, which starts in 4th in our county. We're still not sure whether he'll get in at all, or whether he will want to go even if he does, but we're going to apply and see what happens. DD's top choice is the IB program, so we'll have to see how that pans out. The next month is going to be a busy one of writing essays and filling out forms.

skategirl128 · September 2013

DS seems to really like kindergarten. He's mastered his first set of sight words already and has been ahead of the game in math so far too. We are having him reevaluated for his IEP on speech and gross motor issues. I go to that meeting next week. I'm thinking he will still qualify as he can still be hard to understand. His teacher seems nice too! We will see how it goes!

neverblushed · September 2013

cmeon_the_water said:

Oh, yay- an opportunity for me to b!tch about things!

In contrast, last week? Read a chapter of their take home book (easy enough- 10-15min) and then copy and answer a question from a list in at least two mistake free, neat sentences. We turned his reading journal in so I don't have it in front of me, but, copying the sentence alone took the better bulk of a page (at least when double spaced in 6yo boy handwriting), and they were fun things like "Describe the current setting of the story. If you were to change the setting, how would the plot of the story be altered?" (and that was one of the ones that I could get him to answer!). He JUST turned 6- he's very, very smart- it's a gifted class- but, he didn't know "plot" or "setting" yet. And this was supposed to be a nightly assignment during the book's 13 chapters, on top of vocab and spelling and math practice!

SPEAKING of vocabulary... in addition to the misspelling thing from the first week, we've had several adjectives defined as nouns (solemnly: a person who is very serious) and this week we had unwearyingly defined as tiredly. And it annoys me that the definitions are often another new word, instead of terminology that kids will get without explanation- I mean, even if tiredly wasn't the antonym of unwearyingly, it's probably a new word, right? UGH.

And not the teacher's fault at all- but, OMG with the testing. The testing, testing, testing. It's ridiculous and I hate it. It's all benchmark stuff right now- but, that is NOT how the school year should start.

AND P.E. is only 3 days a week- recess is only given on the two that they don't have P.E. That really makes me sad.

cmeon -- I was thinking about you and your teacher with the spelling problems!

Reading over your summary of the year, if I had to guess, it seems like this teacher is overwhelmed by the coordination and planning involved in managing two grade levels of primary kids who are GT in the same class. She's probably trying to figure out where she can coordinate and do the same stuff with 1st and 2nd grade, and where she needs to differentiate.

I spent some time with my kids on grammar this summer, and it's a good thing I did. DS's teacher last year did go over basic parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns. But she defined almost all of them incorrectly, or gave incorrect examples. She told the kids that a verb is "an action word, like 'running.'" GRRRR!!! Yes, 'running' is an action, but when the word 'running' is used in a sentence, it's almost always used as a gerund noun!! Just say "run/runs" or "kick/kicks" or "sleep/slept" I'm pretty sure that this teacher wouldn't know the difference between a gerund and a verb herself, though. Fine -- I agree that this knowledge isn't that important for most people, even people who are professionals. But it IS important for a teacher who is teaching grammar!!! She also misused "you're and your." Ugh -- come on! That's a 2nd grade skill!!! You need to be using it correctly and TEACHING it to my kid correctly!

I would be bonkers about the messed up vocab definitions, too!

KL777 · September 2013

Overall, it's been good. I am still amazed at everything they are learning and are required to do at the kindergarten level. Back to School night is next week. I just ordered some books from Scholastic through the school. DS did great on his first quiz (science quiz)! I like his teacher and the online grading/messaging system.

DS still likes school. I didn't know if that would change once he started elementary school.

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