All posts tagged school

Kids… What More Can You Say!

This past Monday I had the pleasure of taking the day off from work to attend a mandatory conference day at my youngest daughter’s school. It basically works like this: we have a set conference time for about 15 minutes where you talk to the Homeroom teacher, of whom at our small Catholic school we either talk to or e-mail everyday, we get our report card and then we leave and have the rest of the day off. Sweet and simple!

This year my youngest daughter has not been trying her hardest. I have noticed it and so has her teachers. She has a total of 6 different teachers now that she is in Junior High and her Social Studies teacher and her English teacher both made a comment on her report card about her lack of trying and how it didn’t seem to bother her as long as she was passing the class. Her Homeroom teacher and I talked to her about these comments. I told her that she needed to raise the bar on her standards and that she should try a little harder with her school work. Her Homeroom teacher made a comment about how she needed to try harder now so that when it came time to start looking at colleges she would be well prepared grade wise.

My youngest daughter looked her Homeroom teacher in the eye and said, “All I have to do is pass, I’m only going to go to a Junior College anyway!”

I didn’t know whether to laugh or go crawl into a hole!

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by Heather on October 26, 2010  •  Permalink
Posted in Life As I Know It
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Posted by Heather on October 26, 2010

https://purplecoloredglasses.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/kids-what-more-can-you-say/

Homework, Homework, Homework!

My youngest daughter started 6th grade about 2 weeks ago. She has attended the same Catholic School since Pre-K. She has a very small class, under 20 kids and all of us parents talk to each other.

This year we have 2 new teachers that will be teaching our kids. Both of these teachers are 1st year teachers to boot. During “Meet the Teacher” we parents ganged up on the new teachers about homework. We made it loud and clear that we would not tolerate a ton of homework every night. I figure 30 minutes per subject is more than enough per night. That puts us at about 2 hours a night of homework.

This past Monday my daughter came home and jumped right on her homework. She started at 3:30 and at 5:00 I asked her what she had left to do. She told me that so far she had only been working on English and that she had Math and Science to still do. UMMM….I don’t think so!

I went straight up to the computer and e-mailed all the class parents about the complete overload of English homework. I wanted to make sure I was not alone in my opinion before I e-mailed the teacher. I was not alone at all! Each and every one of us sent an e-mail off to the teacher to let him know that this was unacceptable.

The next day we had the same problem!! So we parents got together again but this time we moved on up the ladder to the principal. Hey, we warned the teacher at the Meet the Teacher! You just don’t mess with the 6th grade parents!

I received an e-mail this morning from this same teacher about my daughter’s spelling homework. They had to use their spelling words in a sentence and he said he did not appreciate me giving my daughter sentences to write down. I replied back to Mr. 1st Year Teacher that I do not do my child’s homework and as a matter of fact, I did not even look over her sentences because I was too busy sending off e-mails to other class parents that night! I made sure I copied the principal as well!

The Spelling word was: chaos

My daughter’s sentence was: Too much homework causes chaos in my house!

I love my daughter! I have taught her well!

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by Heather on August 25, 2010  •  Permalink
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Posted by Heather on August 25, 2010

https://purplecoloredglasses.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/homework-homework-homework/

Never A Dull Moment!

I have been busy, busy, busy, for the past few weeks. It seems like every time I turn around we have something to do!

Softball

My youngest daughter has been playing softball this spring. Her team was made up mostly with what I call the “leftover” girls. The majority of them were young and a lot of them had never played softball before. We also had a first time coach.

The girls formed a great team and played their little hearts out. They ended up 3rd in the league but they really deserved 2nd. During the last game the other team did not have all of their players so they had 4 girls sub for them. I know for a fact that these 4 girls do not play in the 10 and under age group but they play in the 12 and under age group. The level just above our girls! We are appealing the last game but I don’t think it will do any good! 

I thought I was in for a season with a bunch of Upity Softball Moms but after a few weeks they surprised me. They turned out to be a great bunch of moms and we bonded over bad umpires! During the last game we were yelling so much at the umpires horrible calls that we were told to shut up or they would throw us out of the park!

The home plate ump made a bad call on our catcher who tagged a girl coming home and our catcher got so mad she started crying! Her dad got up and used the famous line: “Are you crying? Are you crying? ARE YOU CRYING? There’s no crying! THERE’S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!” She stood up and looked at her dad and said, “Dad, this is softball!”

Next year we move up in an age group along with 4 other girls that were on our team. Hopefully they can all get put on the same team!

School Stuff

The end of my girls school year is coming quickly. My youngest gets out next week and my oldest the week after that. We have been busy with all sorts of school programs and meetings about next year.

My oldest daughter will be a Senior in high school next year. I had to go to a meeting the other night about class pictures and volunteering my life away for the next year. One of the class projects they talked about was selling bottled water at this years graduation. They want every now junior to bring in a case of bottled water and put it in their class principals office. This principal will also be moving up with them next yea.

I received a phone call from this principal yesterday afternoon. The conversation went something like this:

Principal: “Hi there Mrs. So & So. You are the parent of (oldest daughter) right?
Me: “Yes I am? Is there a problem?”
Principal: “No, there is no problem as of right now. I understand that you were at our parent meeting the other night and you heard about our bottled water project. I have your daughter sitting here in my office because I overheard her sharing a great idea with some friends that her mom had for this little project.”
Me: At this point I am getting really nervous!
Principal: “Mrs. So & So, I don’t think the kids need any help finding a Senior Prank to pull off. I also think they should wait until they are actual Seniors to pull it off.”
Me: ” I am sorry I told my daughter what I did and I assure you that if anyone tries to pull it off I will come up to your office and clean it up. Is my daughter in trouble?”
Principal: “No, she is not in trouble and I will hold you to your offer!” (Now she is laughing) “I have to admit, it was a great prank idea!”
 

At the meeting when they were talking about bringing in the cases of bottled water I leaned over and said to my daughter: “Wouldn’t it be funny if you guys all put a little pin hole in some of the bottles so that they leaked all over her office!”

I had no idea this child would take this idea and try to run with it!! Her little sister would run with it like crazy but not my oldest daughter! I guess all these years she really was paying attention to me! Oh Crap!!

5 Comments
by Heather on May 20, 2010  •  Permalink
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Posted by Heather on May 20, 2010

https://purplecoloredglasses.wordpress.com/2010/05/20/never-a-dull-moment/

What A Bunch Of Sickies

Apparently in our community we have Type A Flu, Strep Throat, and the Stomach Flu going around. This is text from an actual e-mail that my youngest daughter’s school sent out this past Wednesday at 10:22 am: 

Parents,
 
We have many students who are coming down with the Type A Flu.  Please be aware of your child’s health before sending them to school.  Many students are coming to school congested but having to leave with a high fever within an hour of school beginning.  They have then contaminated the whole class. If your child is ill and they have not had the flu shot,  be aware that they could be coming down with something that needs a doctor’s care.
 
We also have the stomach flu and Strep throat going around.
 
If your child is ill please keep them home.  If they are running a fever or throwing up keep them home until they are clear for 24 hours.   This will help all of us maintain a healthy environment.
  

  

You would think this would be common sense. It is to me at least! Oh don’t forget I send my youngest to private school! 

I guess the school figured out that there was not a lot of common sense even among our group because here is text from another e-mail I received on Wednesday, yes the same day, at 11:31 am: 

Parents,
 
To help stop the spread of illness in the school we are shutting off the water fountains tomorrow.  Despite our continued warnings, the students still tend to put their mouth on the water-spout.
 
I am asking parents to bring in a case of water bottles per family.  The PreK and K classes will need the half pint bottles (or gallon jugs and we will provide the cups). 
  
Illness is spreading through our community, it is not just at our school. Please be mindful of this as you go shopping, out to eat or out in public.
  
Please contact the school office for any questions or other suggestions.

 

For the record they did shut off the drinking fountains and they also wrapped them with caution tape! I crack up every time I see them! 

Of course this is the same school that, in order to save a little money, made posters at the beginning of the year that said: 

Cough and Cover!

The kids had a blast with those signs!

5 Comments
by Heather on February 5, 2010  •  Permalink
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Posted by Heather on February 5, 2010

https://purplecoloredglasses.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/what-a-bunch-of-sickies/

I’m Free

I’m free, I’m free at last! No more refereeing sisterly fights, no more answering the phone and feeling like an answering machine, “Hi, this is so and so’s mom she can’t come to the phone right now because her lazy butt is still in bed at 11am, would you like to leave a message?” and no more chauffeuring kiddos to the movies or friends houses! Well at least not until the weekend anyway!

Christmas Winter break is finally over! I can now clean the house without having to move the kids from one room to the next. I can go to the grocery store and get only the stuff on my list. I can go see Avatar instead of having to see Alvin and the Chipmunks! Oh wait I liked Alvin and the Chipmunks!

Don’t get me wrong I love my daughters. Well at times I love them! But they needed to go back to school. They were even ready to go back! Two weeks of no school is just enough time to get to do stuff with them and not end up killing them. Maybe year-round school is a good idea after all!

Now it’s back to getting up at 5 in the morning, making lunches, driving kids to school and picking them up and helping them with homework. Wait, maybe they should go back on vacation! I’m not so free after all!

Motherhood - Ya. It's for the insane!

8 Comments
by Heather on January 5, 2010  •  Permalink
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Posted by Heather on January 5, 2010

https://purplecoloredglasses.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/im-free/

First Day Of School

My 10  old daughter has been back in school for a week and a half now. But, today is the first day of school for my 17 year old daughter and the rest of the neighborhood kids who go to public school.

My 17 year old goes to a fairly new high school and this is the first year it has all four grades. This morning was a nightmare getting her to school. We live 10 minutes away from the school and it took us 40 minutes to get to school this morning! I really don’t know who was driving worse, the parents or the students! I saw more parents on their cell phones either texting or talking than I saw doing it. I can’t wait for September 1st to get here! That’s when our NO CELL PHONES in SCHOOL ZONES law goes into effect.

I survived the school drop off routine and proceeded home to go exercise. As I went out for my daily bike ride on the trails you could tell there was just something a little different about the day. The Junior High kids I passed at the bus stop were all a bit nervous and very tired looking and the moms I came across all had that look of, what’s the word… Happiness in their eyes!

I am going to enjoy my first day of back to school freedom by doing absolutely nothing! OK, I have a few things planned but they are all about ME! I might go get my hair cut without having to tow both kids with me and I am definitely going to go eat lunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant that nobody else likes! As for the rest of the week, I am going out on our boat fishing one day and I might just go see a movie that I want to see another day!

Ahh… there is nothing like the first day of school!

7 Comments
by Heather on August 25, 2009  •  Permalink
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Posted by Heather on August 25, 2009

https://purplecoloredglasses.wordpress.com/2009/08/25/first-day-of-school/

Good Old School Days

Today was like Christmas for me. I got to take my 10 year old shopping for school supplies! She was just as excited about it as I was. She goes back to school in just a week and a half! My 17 year old tagged along with us but I will take her shopping for clothes and school supplies probably in another week or so. She still has 3 weeks left before she goes back. 

We walked through aisles and aisles of new folders, notebooks, pens, crayons and markers. I could smell the aroma of wooden pencils the minute I walked through the front doors. It was just as glorious as walking into a coffee shop in the morning!

We had our 5th grade school supply list in one hand and pen in the other just waiting to mark off the items as they flew into the basket. And fly into the basket they did! We managed to fly $100 worth of school supplies into our basket! I must note that when I shop for school supplies I double up and keep a set of the needed stuff for the house as well. That way when it comes time for homework they have the same stuff available at home as they do at school.

Starting this week we are going to have to get our sleeping schedule back into school mode. Gone are the days of staying up to finish a movie and sleeping in the next morning. It is back to rise and shine at 6 in the morning for the little one. Crap, that means I have to go back to waking up at 5 in the morning! I guess it’s not too much of a sacrifice to pay for not having bored kiddos any more!

2 Comments
by Heather on August 3, 2009  •  Permalink
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Posted by Heather on August 3, 2009

https://purplecoloredglasses.wordpress.com/2009/08/03/good-old-school-days/

Question Of The Week

Question of the week: What was your favorite class when you were in school? (P.E., Recess and Lunch don’t count!)

school6books.gif

I loved Math until I got into high school then it just went in one ear and out the other. I would say in high school I loved History the most.

8 Comments
by Heather on April 22, 2009  •  Permalink
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Posted by Heather on April 22, 2009

https://purplecoloredglasses.wordpress.com/2009/04/22/question-of-the-week-31/

School Conference Day

Today my youngest daughter had the day off from school, kinda, sorta. She had a school conference day. You have to bring your child up to the school for a 15 minute conference and pick up the report card.

As usual we got there on time and had to wait for 15 minutes. They always end up running behind schedule. We were waiting in the hall along with 3 other families. Being that my daughter goes to a private school, the classes are very small and we have all known each other since the kids were 4.

One of the little boys was sitting in the hall and was writing sentences. One of the dad’s asked him what he did to have to write so many sentences. The little boy said, “I was talking about people farting and burping and Mrs. So and So heard me.” He had to write I Will Not Talk About Bodily Functions on the front and back of a piece of paper.

I couldn’t help it, but I started cracking up in the hall. Then the other parents started laughing too. Mrs. So and So finally had to open her door and tell us to be quiet. One of the parents grabbed a piece of paper and handed it to me and told me to copy her sentence both front and back on the paper. It said: I Will Not Laugh At Kids Who Have To Write Sentences For Talking About Bodily Functions!

I think I have until tomorrow to turn it in!

4 Comments
by Heather on January 19, 2009  •  Permalink
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Posted by Heather on January 19, 2009

https://purplecoloredglasses.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/school-conference-day/

Homework Trouble

In my house we have a system in the afternoons for homework that works really well. It involves me, and only me, helping out both girls. The oldest one sits at the dining room table and the youngest one sits at the kitchen table and I run back and forth. The youngest one has a great teacher who only wants the kids to do homework for an hour. We are supposed to focus on the subject she needs the most help with and then move on from there.

Well yesterday the system broke down!

My oldest daughter has been complaining of a toothache for a couple of days. I called the dentist yesterday and they said they could get her in at 4 pm that same day. I grabbed it! I called my husband and told him he needed to pick-up our youngest daughter at school. I told him to get her started on her homework and I would help her if she got stuck on something when I got home. He took it upon himself to try and help her with all of her homework. 

When I got home at 5:30 pm I found my youngest daughter lying on the couch just plain worn out. I asked her what was wrong and she said, “Don’t ever let Daddy help me with homework again! I know he is the one who went to college and all but he is not as smart as you!”

My husband started complaining about how the teacher, with whom he has never met, gives out way too much homework. He then started saying how he had to teach our daughter how to do math. I am now thinking “Oh, Crap he screwed everything up!’

My youngest daughter looked at me and then started crying. She told me she was going to get in trouble because Daddy wouldn’t let her finish a math paper that she had to turn in no matter what.

I told her I would write a note to her teacher and  explain everything to her. This is my note: 

note

3 Comments
by Heather on December 10, 2008  •  Permalink
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Posted by Heather on December 10, 2008

https://purplecoloredglasses.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/homework-trouble/

Summer, Now You See It…Now You Don’t!

We spent this weekend on a mini summer vacation. We drove from Houston up to Dallas to go see an IRL race. The girls were great and did not fight the entire trip. Before the race started Robbie Knievel jumped 21 Hummers on his motorcycle. We had an awesome time and the girls even got to see the winner of the race, Scott Dixon. He shook their hands as well! My youngest of course stated that she would never wash her hand again.

We came home to find a message on our phone stating that our oldest daughter’s summer was officially over! She will be spending half of her summer retaking World History. Being a Freshman in high school she couldn’t figure out that not turning in assignments and not studying for tests meant that you were not going to pass. So, she will be spending 3 weeks in summer school and her bank account will be missing $150 that our great school district charges for each class. Yes, we are mean parents and we made her pay for it since she was the one who failed the class. Hopefully she will learn her lesson from it!

3 Comments
by Heather on June 9, 2008  •  Permalink
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Posted by Heather on June 9, 2008

https://purplecoloredglasses.wordpress.com/2008/06/09/summer-now-you-see-itnow-you-dont/

The Price of an Education…

When did the end of the school year become so expensive? Last week I shelled out $20 for an end of school carnival and paid $10 to see my oldest perform at her school choir Pop Show. Next week I get to pay $14 for her FFA banquet and another $20 for her choir banquet. This brings my total for one kid up to $64. Thank goodness I am cheap and did not buy her a $75 yearbook!

I got off really cheap with the younger one and spent $10 on a plant for her teacher as a “Thank you for putting up with my child all year” gift. 

2 Comments
by Heather on May 19, 2008  •  Permalink
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Posted by Heather on May 19, 2008

https://purplecoloredglasses.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/the-price-of-an-education/