Topic : School Issues

I think that you absoutely did the right thing...maybe you should keep your classroom door locked when you stay late.  It seems a universal problem that the music department doesn't get the support it needs.  Our school's football and other sports programs get three paid staff members to teach the kids...the music teacher is on his own...no other paid staff...just parent volunteers...I spend A LOT of time volunteering for the band, and for other school needs...plus Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts...

 

I understand what you mean about bad parent behavior....

 

The fundraisers are so tough to get the kids off their duffs to go out and raise money...and it is the kid's tough luck that he/she didn't turn in the forms on time...I'm sure you sent home plenty of notices of the due date...the parent was completely out of line to come and yell at you for something that was clearly their fault!!

 

Our music teacher teaches 4th grade thru 12th grade music...he has 70 kids in the beginning band...and NO help!!  The school principal goes down to help out sometimes, and I am able to help out, but not every day...and there are plenty of gripes from the school board that the band needs to focus more on "pep band"...well...our music teacher is there to make sure that the kids are prepared for college...he puts in a lot of extra time...for which he is NOT paid....pep band is NOT what it's all about!!  And they want the band to look good in their uniforms, but they don't want to budget to buy a few new ones due to the band growing in size, and some wearing out...they've had the SAME uniforms since 1969!!!  I'm sure that the football team gets NO guff about getting new uniforms every year!!

 

Anyway...your safety is very important...don't let this issue go by the wayside...the parent definitely needs to be reprimanded...go in person to talk with the principal and administrators about your situation...and, like I said...keep your door locked after hours...isn't the main door at the school locked after hours??  It sounds like you are very dedicated to the kids...a trait that not all teachers have...please keep us updated...

 

Becky

 

(Mom of three boys...the two older ones with ADHD)...

It doesn't sound like over-reacting to me...if a kid is bullying, then he needs to be discliplined...it doesn't matter "who started it"...the principal needs to take action and talk with all of the kids involved individually...to find out the REAL story...Do you have time to go to the school and observe...maybe volunteer for recess duty?  (I assume that recess is where these events occur?)

 

A young child who is allowed to bully will become worse as time goes by...if the principal won't listen, then go above his head...try talking with the administrator...and definitely don't let this matter be dropped...all children have the right to be safe in school, and to have NOTHING interfere with their learning...

 

Our son's 5th grade class has an interesting forum...every day, the class takes 15 minutes to voice their grievances with each other, and a chance to respond...and also for compliments, so it's not all negative...I think it is helpful...but dealing with a situation like yours probably should have adult intervention...obviously the boy won't stop on his own...

 

You could consult with the police, if the matter isn't resolved...but a restraining order might be a little drastic since the kids go to the same school...however, it seems that this kid should be suspended for his behavior...and if it continues, expelled...I wonder what his home situation is...

 

Please keep us updated...Becky

 My son is in grade two, he is a happy little boy and he makes friends with no problem at all.
He respects teachers as the authority at school and the playground supervisors. Lately he has been coming home with stories about a boy in his class that seems to be overwhelming him. My son says there are days when he would like to play with other kids but this child (call him Bill) will "not let" him. I questioned my son about this and he told me that Bill screams, grabs my son, calls names and then runs to the playground supervisor and "tells on" my son. I assumed that the supervisor would be like me and just say to Bill "Today Isaac needs a break." or something along those lines. However my son was repeatedly placed on the bench to sit out recess for this! I made sure as best as I could that my son (Isaac) was not prompting the punishment some how. Finally when my son came home with a black eye I called their teacher. Apparently Bill pushed Isaac down the slide and Isaac hit his eye socket on the edge of the slide. I was told that the supervisors would be asked but my son should have come to them. I responded with the Idea that my son has the right to walk away from anyone he is playing with at any time especially if they are hurting him. The teacher told me that they should learn to play together.
One other thing that is bothering me is my son needs to respect teachers and supervisors but in this case I think they are wrong, I do not want my son to second guess authority so I can not share my feelings with him on this.

The behavior of the other boy seems completely inappropriate.  And it was inappropriate of the school not  to call you when your son was injured.  It sounds like you should go in person and talk with the principal about this.  If the other boy is harassing and picking on your son, then disciplinary action should be taken.  The principal should be talking individually to both boys to get their stories.  This reminds me of the time when my youngest son was in 2nd grade.  He broke another boy's glasses by accident.  The other little boy said that my son just grabbed the glasses from him and broke them...the principal called me with the one-sided story...I asked to speak with my son...he told me that they were playing around on the bus, and the other boy's glasses were knocked off and bent.  He was trying to bend them back into shape, and they broke (we have always told the kids NOT to try to fix their own glasses when they get bent)...before getting BOTH sides of the story, the principal was ready to suspend OUR son from school...when I relayed the rest of the story, the boys both got "pink" warning slips for the bus...which was the appropriate action...

 

So...the school authorities NEED to hear BOTH sides before making any assumptions...the repeated tattling from the other boy should raise "red flags" with the playground supervisors.  Who are the supervisors?  Are they teachers, or parent volunteers?  Our school playgrounds have a combination of both...and parents are welcome to volunteer...that might give you a chance to observe for yourself what goes on there.

 

I hope you can work something out soon...Becky

I have a conference with Scott's Science teacher.  He has not been doing any of the work in her class.  They are studying evolution, and he objects to this because the Bible opposes Darwin's views.  The teacher has expressed that she feels it is a way for him to "get out of doing the work'...which may be part of it...when he first came to me, I said that he NEEDS to do the work because he needs to know the other side of the story in order to make valid arguements against it.  I also gave him permission to put disclaimers on his answers.  Because he is hopelessly behind, I made a proposal that he do a Power Point presentation explaining both points of view, and making the case for the Bible...the school counselor called, and he said that it seems like a very reasonable solution...however, I got a very pointed email back from the teacher...so I will have to "fight" for my son...maybe a proficiency test along with the Power Point presentation...I believe that the teacher needs to respect ALL points of view...however, my son DOES need to do his work...with disclaimers...(not being a smart alec...just making a way for our Scott to do his work without "lying")...

 

Any thoughts on this?

 

Becky

 

PS...Profmaryann...you've been MIA for awhile...I hope all is going well...

 

A couple of thoughts ...

 

Whether or not your son "believes" in evolution, it appears to be the dominant understanding of the matter  in the world, so he should at least understand it.  That is a matter of education, not indoctrination.  And your son should accept that he really needs to know both sides.  Your son also should learn that "simply" refusing to do assignments that are not illegal or immoral is not acceptable, and that if they are "so" troubling to him, at a minimum he needs to discuss it with his teacher and then his parents.

 

I think your idea, with which the school counselor agreed, is good.  It ought ot be a basis for "saving" at least a good part of his grade for the term.  I can also see that "simply" delivering a presentation wouldn't demonstrate understanding of the material so something more - like a separate test - might be called for.  Further, your son probably should be limited in the grade he can earn because he really did not do the assigned work without prior excusal/exemption/accommodation.

 

What the teacher said in the "pointed email" may make other significant points.  One point might have to do with extra work or special treatment for a particular student.  If so, while not excusing the way it arose, I would note that from time to time different kids need different extra attention, and as this is one of those times for your son, you (and he) will value that help now.

 

Please, post the outcome.

The teacher was very open-minded about the Power Point...Scott will do a proposal that includes a summary of the content, which will demonstrate an understanding of the material covered, and also opposing views...it's always good to know the case of the opposing side, so one can make a better argument for their own case...

 

I had told Scott at the beginning of the school year, when he first mentioned the course of study, that he was to learn it, and I gave him permission to put disclaimers on all of his work (not to be a smart alec...just to express that the info differs from his own viewpoint)...

 

The proposal will also include a grading rubric and maximum point value...she really wants him to put a lot into the assignment...and he has done some awesome Power Point presentations in the past, so I know he is capable...he is loaded with a plethera of info from both sides...he did complain that all of the articles...from both sides...were pretty one-sided...it is up to him to discern the facts and find the holes in Darwin's theory...and there are some big ones...

 

The next unit of Biology goes onto bilolgical structure...which won't conflict in any way with his beliefs...so we'll see if the homework record improves...he is getting decent grades in the rest of his classes.

 

I'll keep everybody posted...Becky

Scott presented his Power Point today to the teacher.  She said that it was very good.  She will let him know by December 1st how many points she thinks it is worth.  It should be at least enough to keep him from failing the class.  The final is tomorrow, and he said that he knew all of the answers on the pre-test today, without having to look them up in the book.  I reminded him that he is allowed to put disclaimers on the test, if he feels the need.  He would like to present the Power Point to the class...we'll see what the teacher says about that.  He will also present it at church youth group. 

 

It was a really good way for Scott to learn the materials in a non-objectionable way...I think that the material SHOULD be presented as one possible theory, and that the weaknesses SHOULD be explored in the classroom curriculum.  I stressed to him while he was reading the research materials that any time a person is making a case, it is necessary to learn the opposing view...it makes his own case that much stronger.  I'm sure that politicians, lawyers and sports coaches spend a lot of time studying the opponent...as they say...keep your friends close...but keep your enemies even closer...

 

John (the oldest son) is still doing his restaurant experience externship.  He needs to work 32.5 hours per week...paid or not...and for last week and this week, it is the NOT...last week, a salad recipe that he developed actually made it to the "specials" menu, at a price of $24 per plate!!  The chef wants him to be thinking of more recipes and more ideas...to develop his skills...but he does need to work on multi-tasking and being faster...something that comes with time and practice...hopefully, he will start getting some paid hours soon...or he will have to find a supplemental job...he is supposed to be paying us rent (which goes into a bank account for him..."forced savings"), plus saving for a car (since he crashed his), and paying other expenses that we laid out for him...to prepare him for REAL life on his own...at age 19, and having ADHD, he's DEFINITELY not ready for the big world...however, we don't want him still living here when he is 25!!  When he gets a car, he will be paying his own insurance...he will be on our policy, but he will pay the difference between our current premiums and what it costs to add his car.

 

Matthew (youngest son, age 10) is learning the saxophone...and doing very well...he loves it!!  He has a solo in the upcoming Christmas concert...beginning band...oh joy!!  I have been going in once a week to work with the trumpet players...(because I play trumpet)...and they DO need a lot of work...there are 70 kids in the beginning band class...the director has all of them on Mondays and Fridays...the other three days, he splits them up by section, so he can work with smaller groups...on "trumpet day", I come in and take a group of trumpet kids to work with.  I don't know a lot about the saxophone...but I use the beginning trumpet book (to be in the right key), so I can play along with Matthew when he practices...so he can get used to playing in a group...

 

Scott is starting to work on his solo for the February Solo & Ensemble festival...Matthew will be playing a beginner solo...both are in for some hard work...

 

I think that's the update for now...PROFMARYANN??  It's been awhile...are you still out there??

 

Becky

This board has been awfully quiet...does that mean that all of our kids are doing so well in school that we don't have anything to discuss?  Or maybe everybody is busy?  (busy is the word for me)

 

Scott's report card came yesterday...his Power Point presentation saved his Science grade...and they are done with evolution...on to REAL biology...they will be doing dissections of plants and animals, using a microscope...all of the things that SHOULD be done in Biology class....

 

Scott earned and A in Math....the first academic A for him since starting high school!!!  I told him that when he accumulates 5 A's in academic classes (that excludes music, art, and PE), he will get a school sweat shirt...he really wants one of those...his other grades were B's and C's...and a D in Science...better than an F...I hope that he is doing his work now..........I need to check the grade website today to see where he is at...if he has F's in any classes, he will be barred from playing in Pep Band for the basketball games...and the band is so small that it really hurts them when players are missing.....Scott ended up doing a solo for the Star Spangled Banner at the last game because there were only three kids in the Pep Band...the rest were banned due to grades....I hope the turn-out is better this week...

 

Matthew earned a "gold" honor roll award, and he is among the top 10 readers for the whole 5th grade....determined by the amount of AR points...which isn't really an entirely accurate way to rate the readers...those with more points are reading easier books than Matthew is...he is reading LONG books...he has finished the Harry Potter series, and he is now reading Eragon...Matthew gets bored with books that are too easy....His weakest point is his handwriting...still developing neatness...but he is improving...it is mostly legible now....

 

John, the culinary kid, is still doing his externship at a very exclusive restaurant...a lot of his hours are unpaid...which is how an externship works...he has developed some recipes that have been on the daily specials menu...including a salad that cost $24 per plate.......however, he needs a lot of work in the self-motivation department...he thinks that he can sleep all day...time this morning for the squirt bottle to get him out of bed....he is SUPPOSED to be getting his room cleaned up, so there is room to store his things that are currently stacked in the play room.....he should have had this done weeks ago...

 

Profmaryann...I haven't heard from you in awhile...I hope everything is OK in your neck of the woods...we are bitterly cold here in Washington State....we woke up to 0.7 degrees F.......but other parts of the country are colder...with -25.....and the New York area has a wide-spread power outage after an ice storm....so I'll consider us lucky......we are now up to 6.0 degrees...near the predicted high for the day....

 

Becky

I'm writing today with such a sense of frustration today, that I really don't know where to turn.  I have a 12 year old son who up until last year excelled at school.  He would always get straight A's, we never had to ask him if he completed his homework or even have to check his homework.  He just did well & was very disciplined with his school work.  Last year he went through a change with a teacher who was not very structured, but taught the kids a LOT!  My son would wait until the end of each quarter and turn in all of his work for the quarter & turn his grades from F's to B's by doing over 75 papers in one weekend.  This year he is in middle school and late homework is no longer acceptable and his grades are now truly suffering.  We have disciplined him at home by taking away his phone, his TV privileges, his sporting privileges and it just doesn't seem to be working.  His friends all are doing well with school.  He loves school but we just can't seem to get him to care about his grades.  Every night it seems to be a fight as to whether he has homework, whether he's done his homework, and what is coming up for the week.  He is now lying to us and it's not until we get the progress reports that we find out how poor his grades have become & then it's too late.  If anyone has any advice as to what to do or how to handle this I would greatly appreciate some advice.