The Last Person.....

[Brian R. VanCise]

I hear you about the amount of stuff coming home from school. With 2 in all day and 1 going 1/2 day to pre-school, I KNOW we could fill a drawer a year in a standard file cabnet if we kept everything.

I know exactly what you are talking about. Plus to top it off I am that rare person that keeps every form of correspondence, artwork, homework, etc from my kids and boxes it up at the end of the year. Someday I will need a bunker to store all of the stuff.

 

[exile]

I hear you about the amount of stuff coming home from school. With 2 in all day and 1 going 1/2 day to pre-school, I KNOW we could fill a drawer a year in a standard file cabnet if we kept everything.

The thing is, I just can't possibly read it all! It comes too thick and fast... as thought there were some kind of prize being given out for the person there who can tell you the most stuff in a given period of time. I'm sure that most teachers who are under that kind of pressure could figure out much better uses for the time taken up, but there's huge pressure on them to touch base constantly with parents. My feeling is, I trust the teachers at my boy's school---I'm sure they know what they're doing (he himself is living proof!), I wish that Kacey and others in that position didn't have to give up the last remnants of their weekend doing this kind of thing. They work hard enough during the week as it is...

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

The thing is, I just can't possibly read it all! It comes too thick and fast... as thought there were some kind of prize being given out for the person there who can tell you the most stuff in a given period of time. I'm sure that most teachers who are under that kind of pressure could figure out much better uses for the time taken up, but there's huge pressure on them to touch base constantly with parents. My feeling is, I trust the teachers at my boy's school---I'm sure they know what they're doing (he himself is living proof!), I wish that Kacey and others in that position didn't have to give up the last remnants of their weekend doing this kind of thing. They work hard enough during the week as it is...

Yes it does come fast and often. It is alot for the parents and the teachers to keep up with. However having said that I do like the fact that they are touching base. It would be more disconcerting if nothing was coming home.

 

[MJS]

Well, you're in New England, which has its own class of bizarre driving... from what I've seen, it's very aggressive (although this may be generalizing too much from Massachussetts)... in Ohio, it's just... um, strange. They don't take off promptly at green lights, so to make up for it, they run red lights... it's like being around a person who's a bit unbalanced in a way you've never encountered before. A whole bunch of loose cannons in great big cars/SUVs/vans, playing unintentional bumper cars all over the highway system.

Yeah, I see alot that makes me just shake my head. Gotta love the ones that change lanes without looking to make sure its clear, therefore, cutting everyone off, just to take the next exit. Then we have the ones that are trying to merge onto the highway. Rather than picking up speed, they slow down!!! So, now you have someone driving 20 mph, trying to get onto a road where people are driving at least 65 mph!!! I'm trapped now, because I can't get around them, because I'd never be able to pick up enough speed to go around them because of the others that are moving over to avoid hitting me!

 

[exile]

Yeah, I see alot that makes me just shake my head. Gotta love the ones that change lanes without looking to make sure its clear, therefore, cutting everyone off, just to take the next exit. Then we have the ones that are trying to merge onto the highway. Rather than picking up speed, they slow down!!! So, now you have someone driving 20 mph, trying to get onto a road where people are driving at least 65 mph!!! I'm trapped now, because I can't get around them, because I'd never be able to pick up enough speed to go around them because of the others that are moving over to avoid hitting me!

Have you been driving on our much-loved Interstate 71 lately---sure sounds like it!

Like you, I just have to shake my head in bafflement... slow driving by timid drivers, OK. Fast aggressive driving by road-rage-toxic drive, sure. But when you see both characteristics in the same drivers, and they're all on the road together... it's scary.

Is this an eastern driver thing? I don't recall drivers in the west being like this very much... They're fast, businesslike and accurate. What's going on on this side of the Mississippi that makes it so different??

 

[exile]

Yes it does come fast and often. It is alot for the parents and the teachers to keep up with. However having said that I do like the fact that they are touching base. It would be more disconcerting if nothing was coming home.

I know, it does show their intentions are good and they're not pulling this we-know-best rubbish that they did when I was in grade school. But I feel obligated to read it all, since they've gone to the trouble to do it... and that's a lot of reading!

On the whole, though, yes---much better this way than the other way, where you have no clue what's going on.

 

[Kacey]

The thing is, I just can't possibly read it all! It comes too thick and fast... as thought there were some kind of prize being given out for the person there who can tell you the most stuff in a given period of time. I'm sure that most teachers who are under that kind of pressure could figure out much better uses for the time taken up, but there's huge pressure on them to touch base constantly with parents. My feeling is, I trust the teachers at my boy's school---I'm sure they know what they're doing (he himself is living proof!), I wish that Kacey and others in that position didn't have to give up the last remnants of their weekend doing this kind of thing. They work hard enough during the week as it is...

Thanks! And it's nice to know some parents out there somewhere are actually paying attention; half (or more) of what I give back is in the trash before it leaves the room; the best I've managed is to get them to put it in the recycling bin instead of the trash.

 

[arnisador]

We homeschool. It eliminates the middleman.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

We homeschool. It eliminates the middleman.

Wow, that could take up a whole thread all by itself. (it has to be a challenge) A friend of mine is just starting to do this with her thirteen year old. This was at her thirteen year olds request. I am interested to see how it goes.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Kacey, not only do I read everything for both of my kids. I also file it and have it accessible easily. (I know I am really weird in this manner

)

 

[arnisador]

A friend of mine is just starting to do this with her thirteen year old. This was at her thirteen year olds request. I am interested to see how it goes.

There are lots of resources out there, and many local groups. We live in a small town and there are two groups here (one religious, one secular). Our kids do the homeschool gym group, library meeting group, and a co-op that they are taking several classes through. Last year we were away and the group there had foreign language and other classes, plus a drama group that put on a play. Make sure she finds the Internet and local resources that are out there!

 

[exile]

Thanks! And it's nice to know some parents out there somewhere are actually paying attention; half (or more) of what I give back is in the trash before it leaves the room; the best I've managed is to get them to put it in the recycling bin instead of the trash.

We do pay close attention---there's a lot of info there, and it's important (like the head's up we get about what the theme of the math curriculum for this year's grade will be, and how there are going to be field trips built around that theme, and so on. In my view, no one works harder or gets paid less for crucially important work than teachers and LEOs. But what I see is that both groups are under terrific pressue to be---what's the word now?---accountable, so everyone has to keep meticulous records and cross all the t's/dot all the i's and so on constantly, and make sure that parents are assured that their children't education is proceeding exactly on track...

Now I know my boy's education is in good hands; I know his teacher, a gem in a series of gems he's been lucky enough to have from first grade on. We have a lot of contact with his school---it's an alternative, informal school with huge parental involvement (they probably get sick of seeing us there all the time). But she must stay up till 1:00 am every night writing up stuff for us, when she doesn't have grading or reports for the school admin or... or... or.... etc.

What I'm saying, I guess, is thank you, Kacey and all you other folk out there who teach our kids and keep them safe.

 

[Kacey]

What I'm saying, I guess, is thank you, Kacey and all you other folk out there who teach our kids and keep them safe.

Thank you for your kind words. Drac, I think this is for you too.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Yes, a big thank you from me to all the teacher's, police and related public servants for everything that they do!

You guy's definately make the world a better place to live in.

 

[exile]

Drac, I think this is for you too.

Most definitely, yes!

 

[Drac]

Good Evening All...

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Good evening my good friend Drac! How do you find yourself tonight?

 

[Drac]

I am well fellow Dark Lord...

 

[exile]

Good evening to you, Drac!

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

The Tigers got the first run tonight so all is well at the moment in Michigan!