Apparently none of my three older children will be benefiting from this new program, as their school isn't on the list. Depending on the outcome of this fall's provincial election, perhaps my youngest will still have a chance at it.
In the meantime, here's a link to the school finder if you want to see if your child's school will be starting all-day Kindergarten in either 2011 or 2012.
Showing posts with label School Days. Show all posts
Showing posts with label School Days. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Thoughts on the "Circle of Hell"
I'll warn you in advance, I'm feeling "spicy" today.
My motivation? The kindergarten drop-off at my kids' school.
Since the Ontario kindergarten program lasts two years, I currently have two kids in kindergarten at our local public school. The "JKs" go on Monday, Wednesday and approximately every other Friday. The "SKs" go on the opposite days. That means I have someone to drop off at the kindergarten yard every morning.
The way our school's drop-off works is that the main drop-off is a line directly in front of the main part of the school. There is another lane which by-passes this drop-off lane and can either exit the parking lot or go to a circle at the end, by the kindergarten classrooms. This Circle of Hell is the kindergarten drop-off.
Public school drop-offs are bad are the best of times, but this kindergarten drop-off is a new level of torment. The circle can comfortably accommodate about 7-8 cars at a time. The very fact that it's in a circle makes it very difficult to parallel park to begin with, so when someone vacates a spot in the middle that you have to squeeze into, it's never fun.
The worst problem of all, though, is with parents who get their kids out, take them over to the fenced-in kindergarten yard, let them inside of said fence, and then STAND THERE. They will stand and chat with other parents, all the while watching their little darlings chat with THEIR friends and run around the concrete "yard". Some of them will stand there until the bell rings, or even longer.
As I said, there is room for about 7-8 cars at any given time. There are, I believe, four kindergarten classes each day, each with between 17-20 children. Not all of them come by car, obviously, but suppose that even half of them do: that's about 35-40 kids needing to be dropped off in the circle of hell. If 4 of those 7-8 spots are claimed for the entire 10-15 minute drop-off period, you can imagine the chaos that is caused.
Last year in one of the kindergarten newsletters, the teachers gently encouraged parents to "foster independence" by dropping off their children in the fenced-in, ADULT-SUPERVISED yard and then leaving. This worked, for about a week. There is never anyone outside the yard, "encouraging" parents to not stand around, so the chaos returned in no time.
As I navigated the COH this morning, I contemplated what this all meant. Okay, maybe contemplated wasn't a good word. More like fumed.
I wrote a post a while back about the child-free movement, and how they needed to back off those of us who choose to raise the next generation. I still stand by that, but when did we become entitled to so much selfishness purely by the virtue of being a parent? When did the perceived safety - giving the benefit of the doubt that these parents aren't just standing there to chat with other parents - of our own children become permission to disrupt everyone else's life? Yes, we need to be given some leeway to get through life as a family of 3, 4, 5 or more, but when the others around you have the same issues, why are yours more important? What about the parents who need to get in and out of the COH to get to work? Or people who may end up having car accidents trying to navigate around those who park in strange places because none of the actual spots are available?
This isn't just a parking lot rant, although I could go on much longer about this (believe me!) It's just the little things that I see every day. For example, why does a parent feel they need to pressure a nurse at a walk-in clinic to hurry everyone else up, when all of the people ahead of them are just as sick?
I think it comes down to common courtesy, which is, sadly, missing in so many cases these days. I know I've been guilty of it at times, but perhaps, as parents, we need to learn to BREATHE more, and think that not every situation is life-threatening (ie. being in a fenced-in playground with adult supervision!) and our children, while they mean the world to us, are not more important than everyone else's.
My motivation? The kindergarten drop-off at my kids' school.
Since the Ontario kindergarten program lasts two years, I currently have two kids in kindergarten at our local public school. The "JKs" go on Monday, Wednesday and approximately every other Friday. The "SKs" go on the opposite days. That means I have someone to drop off at the kindergarten yard every morning.
The way our school's drop-off works is that the main drop-off is a line directly in front of the main part of the school. There is another lane which by-passes this drop-off lane and can either exit the parking lot or go to a circle at the end, by the kindergarten classrooms. This Circle of Hell is the kindergarten drop-off.
Public school drop-offs are bad are the best of times, but this kindergarten drop-off is a new level of torment. The circle can comfortably accommodate about 7-8 cars at a time. The very fact that it's in a circle makes it very difficult to parallel park to begin with, so when someone vacates a spot in the middle that you have to squeeze into, it's never fun.
The worst problem of all, though, is with parents who get their kids out, take them over to the fenced-in kindergarten yard, let them inside of said fence, and then STAND THERE. They will stand and chat with other parents, all the while watching their little darlings chat with THEIR friends and run around the concrete "yard". Some of them will stand there until the bell rings, or even longer.
As I said, there is room for about 7-8 cars at any given time. There are, I believe, four kindergarten classes each day, each with between 17-20 children. Not all of them come by car, obviously, but suppose that even half of them do: that's about 35-40 kids needing to be dropped off in the circle of hell. If 4 of those 7-8 spots are claimed for the entire 10-15 minute drop-off period, you can imagine the chaos that is caused.
Last year in one of the kindergarten newsletters, the teachers gently encouraged parents to "foster independence" by dropping off their children in the fenced-in, ADULT-SUPERVISED yard and then leaving. This worked, for about a week. There is never anyone outside the yard, "encouraging" parents to not stand around, so the chaos returned in no time.
As I navigated the COH this morning, I contemplated what this all meant. Okay, maybe contemplated wasn't a good word. More like fumed.
I wrote a post a while back about the child-free movement, and how they needed to back off those of us who choose to raise the next generation. I still stand by that, but when did we become entitled to so much selfishness purely by the virtue of being a parent? When did the perceived safety - giving the benefit of the doubt that these parents aren't just standing there to chat with other parents - of our own children become permission to disrupt everyone else's life? Yes, we need to be given some leeway to get through life as a family of 3, 4, 5 or more, but when the others around you have the same issues, why are yours more important? What about the parents who need to get in and out of the COH to get to work? Or people who may end up having car accidents trying to navigate around those who park in strange places because none of the actual spots are available?
This isn't just a parking lot rant, although I could go on much longer about this (believe me!) It's just the little things that I see every day. For example, why does a parent feel they need to pressure a nurse at a walk-in clinic to hurry everyone else up, when all of the people ahead of them are just as sick?
I think it comes down to common courtesy, which is, sadly, missing in so many cases these days. I know I've been guilty of it at times, but perhaps, as parents, we need to learn to BREATHE more, and think that not every situation is life-threatening (ie. being in a fenced-in playground with adult supervision!) and our children, while they mean the world to us, are not more important than everyone else's.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Graduation Day
Yesterday was my three-year-old's nursery school "graduation." I'm not big on all of these graduation ceremonies: nursery school, kindergarten, middle school or Grade Eight (depending on your area), high school, then college and/or university... it gets to be a bit much. I mean, I can understand a high school graduation - that's a major point in your life. University or college? it's a major accomplishment that not everyone achieves, so go ahead - congratulate yourself!
But kindergarten? Nursery school? It all seems a bit silly, doesn't it? We've become obsessed with every little milestone, I think. Even as babies, it's not just about walking and talking; it's when did they roll front to back, and back to front? When do they first smile, laugh... when do they eat their first Cheetos?
It's not that I'm against being proud of your child's achievements, I just wonder when the standard for what an achievement is, changed. Most normal, healthy babies are going to roll over. It may be a delight for a parent to see it for the first time, but it's not "invite all of the relatives for a big party" time, is it? Do we really need to remember the exact date and time that it happened? Or should we just enjoy the memory of what it was like to watch? I feel the same way about giant first birthday parties (or giant kid birthday parties in general): is it really necessary? I've found that most of the time these parties are actually torturous for the little ones who are supposed to be feted.
And finishing kindergarten: is it really worth making parents take time off from work to see their kid in a cardboard hat with a sheet draped over them as a gown? For most kids, they're still going to be at the same school the next year. The only thing different will be the "Grade" in front of what level they're at. This may not be the case at all schools, but I also believe that many schools don't pay for these ceremonies. Because parents expect them, though, the kindergarten teachers end up having to come up with the money for them.
I probably sound like a giant Scrooge right now, but let me just interject with: I was a big sobby mess yesterday at my son's "graduation." It is an acknowledgement that yes, he is getting bigger, and soon he'll be in "real" school. I loved watching him up at the microphone with a little girl from his class, singing in the microphone in front of everyone. My baby boy is growing up, and a big part of me just wants him to stay little, and be my cuddlebug forever.
So maybe a little celebration here and there never hurt anyone.
But kindergarten? Nursery school? It all seems a bit silly, doesn't it? We've become obsessed with every little milestone, I think. Even as babies, it's not just about walking and talking; it's when did they roll front to back, and back to front? When do they first smile, laugh... when do they eat their first Cheetos?
It's not that I'm against being proud of your child's achievements, I just wonder when the standard for what an achievement is, changed. Most normal, healthy babies are going to roll over. It may be a delight for a parent to see it for the first time, but it's not "invite all of the relatives for a big party" time, is it? Do we really need to remember the exact date and time that it happened? Or should we just enjoy the memory of what it was like to watch? I feel the same way about giant first birthday parties (or giant kid birthday parties in general): is it really necessary? I've found that most of the time these parties are actually torturous for the little ones who are supposed to be feted.
And finishing kindergarten: is it really worth making parents take time off from work to see their kid in a cardboard hat with a sheet draped over them as a gown? For most kids, they're still going to be at the same school the next year. The only thing different will be the "Grade" in front of what level they're at. This may not be the case at all schools, but I also believe that many schools don't pay for these ceremonies. Because parents expect them, though, the kindergarten teachers end up having to come up with the money for them.
I probably sound like a giant Scrooge right now, but let me just interject with: I was a big sobby mess yesterday at my son's "graduation." It is an acknowledgement that yes, he is getting bigger, and soon he'll be in "real" school. I loved watching him up at the microphone with a little girl from his class, singing in the microphone in front of everyone. My baby boy is growing up, and a big part of me just wants him to stay little, and be my cuddlebug forever.
So maybe a little celebration here and there never hurt anyone.
Friday, May 14, 2010
What's Wrong with Just Being Seven?
There was a video floating around today of a girls' dance troupe. It showed five seven-year-old girls, dressed in red satin boy shorts and crop tops, trimmed with black lace, dancing to Beyoncé's Single Ladies. It apparently went viral, getting over 2,000,000 hits, although by tonight it's been pulled down from YouTube for copyright infringement (by the video company, apparently). I did manage to find it again here:
Vezi mai multe video din Sport
First off, there is absolutely no denying the talent of these little girls. I'm astonished that girls that age can dance that well.
That being said, as a mom, I'm outraged. That any choreographer/dance teacher would find that appropriate for little girls is beyond me. That parents would allow their young daughters to do bump and grinds like that, wearing costumes that, quite frankly, make them look like hookers, is astonishing. Someone compared it to the pageant circuit, where apparently ambition for your child's success often trumps common sense.
I saw CNN's Anderson Cooper interviewing Dr. Phil about this, and he had a good point: out of those 2,000,000 views, how many were pedophiles? Because it was ripe for that.
When I was seven, I was pining for a Cabbage Patch Kid (yes, I'm dating myself again). I was wanting to listen to Michael Jackson's Thriller without upsetting my mom. I made houses out of cardboard boxes for my cats. I fought to get to stay up late enough to watch The Cosby Show. I wasn't grinding my hips on stage wearing next to nothing. I may still have been wearing geeky corduroy pants made by my grandmother at that point, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Why do little girls have to get sexualized at such a young age? I don't honestly even understand why letting little girls wear "bikinis" to go swimming is so cute. Aren't we supposed to be protecting them? Teaching them some self-worth? Teaching them that they are more than just their bodies? Because if this is what they're learning at seven years old, how will they rationalize saying "no" when they're pressured as teenagers? "It's okay, it's no big deal." Wrong. It IS a big deal.
The sad thing is, that those girls are so talented that they could have had tamer costumes and done a less provocative routine to that same song and it would have been just as good. Unfortunately we won't get to see that version.
I'm very curious to see if, in the next few days, this dance school comes forward with some kind of response.
Vezi mai multe video din Sport
First off, there is absolutely no denying the talent of these little girls. I'm astonished that girls that age can dance that well.
That being said, as a mom, I'm outraged. That any choreographer/dance teacher would find that appropriate for little girls is beyond me. That parents would allow their young daughters to do bump and grinds like that, wearing costumes that, quite frankly, make them look like hookers, is astonishing. Someone compared it to the pageant circuit, where apparently ambition for your child's success often trumps common sense.
I saw CNN's Anderson Cooper interviewing Dr. Phil about this, and he had a good point: out of those 2,000,000 views, how many were pedophiles? Because it was ripe for that.
When I was seven, I was pining for a Cabbage Patch Kid (yes, I'm dating myself again). I was wanting to listen to Michael Jackson's Thriller without upsetting my mom. I made houses out of cardboard boxes for my cats. I fought to get to stay up late enough to watch The Cosby Show. I wasn't grinding my hips on stage wearing next to nothing. I may still have been wearing geeky corduroy pants made by my grandmother at that point, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Why do little girls have to get sexualized at such a young age? I don't honestly even understand why letting little girls wear "bikinis" to go swimming is so cute. Aren't we supposed to be protecting them? Teaching them some self-worth? Teaching them that they are more than just their bodies? Because if this is what they're learning at seven years old, how will they rationalize saying "no" when they're pressured as teenagers? "It's okay, it's no big deal." Wrong. It IS a big deal.
The sad thing is, that those girls are so talented that they could have had tamer costumes and done a less provocative routine to that same song and it would have been just as good. Unfortunately we won't get to see that version.
I'm very curious to see if, in the next few days, this dance school comes forward with some kind of response.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Ontario Liberals on the Defensive about New Sex Ed Curriculum
Dalton McGuinty is under attack again. Not for the HST this time, but for the new Sex Ed curriculum that's been developed for Ontario public schools.
The main points of contention are this:
I admit that I'm not a conservative parent, but I will never understand sheltering your kids from the world. Do I want my 11 year old having oral sex? Um, no, and I certainly hope that I'll teach them well enough that they're smart enough not to do so. But truthfully my kids already know that homosexuality exists, and we've even had discussions about transgendered people with our oldest. They know the proper names for body parts from an early age, even if we do sometimes jokingly use silly names. I want them to feel in charge of their own bodies because the reality is that there are people out there who do not respect other people's bodies, and I feel that's the best protection that I can offer them. To teach them what's theirs, and that no one has a right to touch them in any way that makes them feel uncomfortable, no matter what age they are.
Not to mention all of the people who say that this should be taught at home are neglecting one important thing: for a lot of kids this would NEVER be taught at home, either through ignorance or apathy. The curriculum in a public school system has to do the best it can for the majority of the students. Personally, I wholeheartedly support this new curriculum.
I actually like this quote from NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo, a former United Church Minister: "The gift of sexuality, and the gift of body parts from God is a gift. It's a gift all children need to learn about; we all need to learn about."
The main points of contention are this:
- In Grade 1, students will learn about anatomy, including genitalia and the proper names for genitalia.
- In Grade 3, students will learn about gender identity and sexual orientation.
- In Grade 5, students will be taught to identify parts of the reproductive system and describe how the body changes during puberty.
- In Grade 6, students will learn about masturbation and wet dreams.
- In Grade 7, students will learn about oral and anal sex, and how to prevent STDs and unwanted pregnancies.
I admit that I'm not a conservative parent, but I will never understand sheltering your kids from the world. Do I want my 11 year old having oral sex? Um, no, and I certainly hope that I'll teach them well enough that they're smart enough not to do so. But truthfully my kids already know that homosexuality exists, and we've even had discussions about transgendered people with our oldest. They know the proper names for body parts from an early age, even if we do sometimes jokingly use silly names. I want them to feel in charge of their own bodies because the reality is that there are people out there who do not respect other people's bodies, and I feel that's the best protection that I can offer them. To teach them what's theirs, and that no one has a right to touch them in any way that makes them feel uncomfortable, no matter what age they are.
Not to mention all of the people who say that this should be taught at home are neglecting one important thing: for a lot of kids this would NEVER be taught at home, either through ignorance or apathy. The curriculum in a public school system has to do the best it can for the majority of the students. Personally, I wholeheartedly support this new curriculum.
I actually like this quote from NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo, a former United Church Minister: "The gift of sexuality, and the gift of body parts from God is a gift. It's a gift all children need to learn about; we all need to learn about."
Friday, March 12, 2010
March Break
Here we go again: another school holiday. Teachers everywhere celebrate! Parents who can afford to actually GO somewhere (like my friends who go on a cruise every year!) are looking forward to time off from work. The rest of us parents shudder to think how we will entertain our kids during one of the most BLAH months of the year. Playdates? Excursions (preferably free ones)? Way too much television and computer time? Praying that Grandma and Grandpa want some quality time?
There are pros, of course. Sleeping in sounds awfully good right about now. Although Dad will still have to get up for work, it's quite likely that after a day or two my kids will crash and actually start sleeping past 7am. It's good for me, because I don't have to get up so early, and good for their sleep-starved bodies to get some rest. I also had the giddy thought earlier tonight as I was loading the dishwasher that I don't need to make a single school lunch for the next 9 days! And I even remembered to unpack the lunchbags so that there's no nasty surprises next Sunday night!
Hopefully we can also manage to spend some quality time together this next week without any bloodshed. There's a doctor's appointment on Thursday morning, but other than that, our time is our own. If the weather is nice maybe I'll be brave and venture to the park. If the temperature stays up where it's been, they can play outside in the backyard, and maybe we'll even drag out their bikes a bit. Hopefully we'll also manage a few playdates that just seem too much to handle in weeks that are already packed with school and activities. My oldest has a few friends from our old neighbourhood that she seems to only have time to see at birthdays and on holidays.
Still, by next Sunday night I expect I'll be doing a little dance of joy around 9pm. That is, if I have any energy left after all of that "quality time."
There are pros, of course. Sleeping in sounds awfully good right about now. Although Dad will still have to get up for work, it's quite likely that after a day or two my kids will crash and actually start sleeping past 7am. It's good for me, because I don't have to get up so early, and good for their sleep-starved bodies to get some rest. I also had the giddy thought earlier tonight as I was loading the dishwasher that I don't need to make a single school lunch for the next 9 days! And I even remembered to unpack the lunchbags so that there's no nasty surprises next Sunday night!
Hopefully we can also manage to spend some quality time together this next week without any bloodshed. There's a doctor's appointment on Thursday morning, but other than that, our time is our own. If the weather is nice maybe I'll be brave and venture to the park. If the temperature stays up where it's been, they can play outside in the backyard, and maybe we'll even drag out their bikes a bit. Hopefully we'll also manage a few playdates that just seem too much to handle in weeks that are already packed with school and activities. My oldest has a few friends from our old neighbourhood that she seems to only have time to see at birthdays and on holidays.
Still, by next Sunday night I expect I'll be doing a little dance of joy around 9pm. That is, if I have any energy left after all of that "quality time."
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Ontario announces schools for first phase of All-Day Kindergarten
Today Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced a list of almost 600 schools that will be part of the first phase of introducing all-day kindergarten. Ontario is already the only province that offers two years of kindergarten, divided into "JK" and "SK".
Personally I'm happy with the development, although I seem to be in the minority on this one. My children's school is not included on the list for full-time programs, so it won't have an impact on us, despite the fact that our family will have two kids in kindergarten next year (one in SK, one in JK). However, I have seen the impact that the JK program has had on my kids, and I think that it could have a real impact on the kids who get to be a part of it.
There are concerns that not all kids can handle that much school at that age (some kids aren't yet four years old when they start school) but I don't really see how it's much different than being in daycare. They're still away from home all day, every day. In this case, they're just being exposed to more learning opportunities and adjusting to the school routine that will be theirs until around age 17.
The one comment that I keep reading is that it's just "free daycare". Personally, I find that offensive, and I'm not, nor have I ever been, a teacher. Kindergarten is so much more than daycare. Yes, there is playtime involved, but it is usually with a specific (if sneaky!) goal in mind. While some daycares do run on an early childhood education curriculum, most home cares do not. I'm also certain that the kindergarten teachers who spent five years at university studying to teach our youngest students don't appreciate being called glorified daycare.
Anyway, if you're looking for the list of schools who will be offering all day kindergarten in 2010-2011, you can find it here.
Personally I'm happy with the development, although I seem to be in the minority on this one. My children's school is not included on the list for full-time programs, so it won't have an impact on us, despite the fact that our family will have two kids in kindergarten next year (one in SK, one in JK). However, I have seen the impact that the JK program has had on my kids, and I think that it could have a real impact on the kids who get to be a part of it.
There are concerns that not all kids can handle that much school at that age (some kids aren't yet four years old when they start school) but I don't really see how it's much different than being in daycare. They're still away from home all day, every day. In this case, they're just being exposed to more learning opportunities and adjusting to the school routine that will be theirs until around age 17.
The one comment that I keep reading is that it's just "free daycare". Personally, I find that offensive, and I'm not, nor have I ever been, a teacher. Kindergarten is so much more than daycare. Yes, there is playtime involved, but it is usually with a specific (if sneaky!) goal in mind. While some daycares do run on an early childhood education curriculum, most home cares do not. I'm also certain that the kindergarten teachers who spent five years at university studying to teach our youngest students don't appreciate being called glorified daycare.
Anyway, if you're looking for the list of schools who will be offering all day kindergarten in 2010-2011, you can find it here.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Hallelujah!
A Toronto Star report says that a movement is underfoot to make the report cards at Ontario schools more understandable. In my experience so far, report cards are an exercise in frustration for parents. No longer do you see a subject, a letter grade, and a personal comment. No, that was apparently too easy, so in 1998 the Ontario government, led by my all-time favourite Premier Mike Harris (was that too sarcastic?) decided that all report cards needed to be standardized. The intention was to bring consistency between school boards in the province. In fact, I believe that this idea was supposed to make things easier for parents.
Instead, what we've had is robotic comments straight out of the curriculum that are more edu-speak than parent-speak. Teachers choose from a list of comments instead of giving any personal comment that actually tells a parent how their child is doing in that subject. I honestly thought maybe I was just stupid, reading my daughter's report card. I consider myself to be a fairly intelligent person, and I have a university degree with a minor in English. I can't be THAT dumb, can I?
Toronto school board trustee Howard Goodman says I'm not. He struggles to understand his own children's report cards, he says. He is now leading the charge for more coherent reports, inspired by retired teacher Tom Sullivan (who holds a Masters Degree in Education) who started his crusade after he couldn't understand his grandson's Grade 4 report. There are also concerns that if a former teacher or school board trustee, whose first language is English, can't understand the report cards, new Canadians may have a very difficult time with them.
Some actual comments from report cards:
“She systematically describes the relative locations of objects or people using positional language.”
“She is able to count using one-to-one correspondence with ease.”
“He explains how the particular characteristics of various text forms help to communicate meaning, with a focus on literary, graphic and informational texts.”
Aren't those helpful?
I was speaking about this to a friend whose kids are now in university, and she mentioned that her son, now studying Engineering, had a 99% in Calculus (or some kind of math... it's not my strong suit). His report card said, “A... should take advantage of additional help that is available.”
HUH? I could see how that extra 1% would be nice, but that sounds like he needs tutoring or something! His mother asked about it, and was told that the comment was applied to everyone. WHAT?
Sometimes I honestly think that they make changes to education because they're expected to, not because it's necessary. My oldest daughter learned to read using the Animated Literacy program. My younger daughter started Junior Kindergarten this year, and her teacher told me that they were told they were no longer allowed to use this curriculum. No new curriculum had been chosen, but they were absolutely NOT to use Animated Literacy anymore, because someone had decided that it wasn't the best way to teach reading. The teacher agreed with me that in a year or two they would probably change their minds again, going from Phonics to Whole Language to... who knows what? Is leaving something alone a sign of stagnation, or is change for the sake of change just politically sanctioned busywork?
However, I really do hope that the intiative to change the report cards go through. Even “translating” the current comment system isn't enough, in my opinion. Yes, it tells me what my child can do, or knows, but what are the specific things she needs to improve on? Does that mean that she's at the top of the class? I would love to see the personal comments that used to be on report cards when I was a kid. I'd much rather hear that my child is “a joy to have in class” than that she knows whether she's in front of or behind something. I'd rather know that he's a chatterbox and needs to settle down than that he can count one by one.
But maybe that's just me.
Instead, what we've had is robotic comments straight out of the curriculum that are more edu-speak than parent-speak. Teachers choose from a list of comments instead of giving any personal comment that actually tells a parent how their child is doing in that subject. I honestly thought maybe I was just stupid, reading my daughter's report card. I consider myself to be a fairly intelligent person, and I have a university degree with a minor in English. I can't be THAT dumb, can I?
Toronto school board trustee Howard Goodman says I'm not. He struggles to understand his own children's report cards, he says. He is now leading the charge for more coherent reports, inspired by retired teacher Tom Sullivan (who holds a Masters Degree in Education) who started his crusade after he couldn't understand his grandson's Grade 4 report. There are also concerns that if a former teacher or school board trustee, whose first language is English, can't understand the report cards, new Canadians may have a very difficult time with them.
Some actual comments from report cards:
“She systematically describes the relative locations of objects or people using positional language.”
“She is able to count using one-to-one correspondence with ease.”
“He explains how the particular characteristics of various text forms help to communicate meaning, with a focus on literary, graphic and informational texts.”
Aren't those helpful?
I was speaking about this to a friend whose kids are now in university, and she mentioned that her son, now studying Engineering, had a 99% in Calculus (or some kind of math... it's not my strong suit). His report card said, “A... should take advantage of additional help that is available.”
HUH? I could see how that extra 1% would be nice, but that sounds like he needs tutoring or something! His mother asked about it, and was told that the comment was applied to everyone. WHAT?
Sometimes I honestly think that they make changes to education because they're expected to, not because it's necessary. My oldest daughter learned to read using the Animated Literacy program. My younger daughter started Junior Kindergarten this year, and her teacher told me that they were told they were no longer allowed to use this curriculum. No new curriculum had been chosen, but they were absolutely NOT to use Animated Literacy anymore, because someone had decided that it wasn't the best way to teach reading. The teacher agreed with me that in a year or two they would probably change their minds again, going from Phonics to Whole Language to... who knows what? Is leaving something alone a sign of stagnation, or is change for the sake of change just politically sanctioned busywork?
However, I really do hope that the intiative to change the report cards go through. Even “translating” the current comment system isn't enough, in my opinion. Yes, it tells me what my child can do, or knows, but what are the specific things she needs to improve on? Does that mean that she's at the top of the class? I would love to see the personal comments that used to be on report cards when I was a kid. I'd much rather hear that my child is “a joy to have in class” than that she knows whether she's in front of or behind something. I'd rather know that he's a chatterbox and needs to settle down than that he can count one by one.
But maybe that's just me.
Monday, September 21, 2009
First Day of Kindergarten
My younger daughter, Charlotte, started Junior Kindergarten this morning.
It's hard to believe that she's old enough, and at the same time it feels like we've lived a hundred different lifetimes since she was born. After going through fertility treatments for the second time, who would've thought that we would end up with another baby just 13 months after she was born? She wasn't even two when we left for the United States, and we were back before she turned 3. Now she has yet another younger brother, and in total she's lived in five different houses in her short lifetime.
Charlotte is a sweet, loving girl, but also very shy. She's been waiting very impatiently for the past two weeks while her older sister went to school, for her turn. The first week we did an interview with the teacher. Last week she got to go for one afternoon with some of her classmates, but this morning was the first time that I dropped her off in the Kindergarten yard (AKA "The Pen") and she was mixed in with all of the other kids from all of the K classes, and had to find her teacher, and find the lineup. She just looked so little to be at such a big school. There were, of course, parents EVERYWHERE and I don't think that helped. She seemed completely overwhelmed by all of the people and noise.
That being said, I'm sure that she will be fine. It's actually lunchtime already there, and she's probably talking away with her new friends (one of her classmates is named "Karly", the same as her older sister's BFF, so she thinks that's pretty cool) and gobbling down her lunch so that she can play some more.
I just can't believe how big my baby is getting!
It's hard to believe that she's old enough, and at the same time it feels like we've lived a hundred different lifetimes since she was born. After going through fertility treatments for the second time, who would've thought that we would end up with another baby just 13 months after she was born? She wasn't even two when we left for the United States, and we were back before she turned 3. Now she has yet another younger brother, and in total she's lived in five different houses in her short lifetime.
Charlotte is a sweet, loving girl, but also very shy. She's been waiting very impatiently for the past two weeks while her older sister went to school, for her turn. The first week we did an interview with the teacher. Last week she got to go for one afternoon with some of her classmates, but this morning was the first time that I dropped her off in the Kindergarten yard (AKA "The Pen") and she was mixed in with all of the other kids from all of the K classes, and had to find her teacher, and find the lineup. She just looked so little to be at such a big school. There were, of course, parents EVERYWHERE and I don't think that helped. She seemed completely overwhelmed by all of the people and noise.
That being said, I'm sure that she will be fine. It's actually lunchtime already there, and she's probably talking away with her new friends (one of her classmates is named "Karly", the same as her older sister's BFF, so she thinks that's pretty cool) and gobbling down her lunch so that she can play some more.
I just can't believe how big my baby is getting!
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