Title 1

Almost forgot... Thomas was recommended for Title 1. Another bunk situation. Title 1 is for kids who are not working up to the appropriate level in either reading or math. In the first week of school all kids are tested. Seems Thomas didn't count the way the teacher expects you to count. He had a pile of something he had to count and instead of counting them and moving them, he just counted them in the pile (lazy boy). He counted wrong. So now, the teacher, who sees his math papers come back every day 100% says he can't count and needs "intervention." The boy is doing 2nd grade addition now. Seriously. I know it's how schools make their money, I am on School Site Council, I know what Title 1 is... this is just stupid.

Detention...

Guess who... yep, Thomas. I think it is bunk. He got detention on Friday for climbing up on a fence to check out the carnival that was being built over at the high school for homecoming that night. He and another boy were caught. They both served their detention today. I asked him how it happened and he said the noonaide, Mr. "O" blew his whistle, told the four boys who were at the fence to sit on the benches, he wrote out two slips and told two of the boys they got a second chance and gave two of the boys detention. The two who got away just weren't ON the fence at the time. LAME. I asked him if he knew it was wrong, and he said he knew, AFTER he got the detention slip. Can't they help the first graders out a little? This is the first year he is on this playground! So, I emailed the principal, saying I understood why, but could someone be a little more clear with the first graders what is allowed and what isn't (especially the first grade boys). She said she would talk to the teachers. Hmm. Then Glee has been having trouble with math, her strongest area last year. And I asked her teacher to explain what she expected and she basically said that Glee talks too much in class (and that is just not her, and she was moved today from a boy who talks... ALOT...) and that if she were paying attention she wouldn't have the problem she is having. I then explained I didn't understand the math, could she show me what she expected and I learned that in third grade they are learning to estimate... yes, to guess at the math. Here is a sample problem... "M" has 7 more than "Q." All total they have 43. How much does each have? And you are supposed to solve it by guessing. Let me outline it for you... 43-7=36... each has half of 36, with M having half + 7. Oh, and they don't know division yet, so they are supposed to "guess" the two numbers that are equal to each other that make up 36. Yes, guessing in math. It's madness. I taught Glee long division so she doesn't have to guess at her math. I know it was wrong, but she can do it, and seriously, guessing?

This year is turning out to be harder than I anticipated. Poor Thomas is trying to do the right things and ending up with wrong things, and poor Glee... she had a nightmare about a man with a crocodile head who wandered around school with other monsters and the croc man kept saying "I AM GOING TO EAT YOUUUUUU!!!!" We talked about how some dreams may have deeper meanings and she told me she had a sword in the dream and would scare croc man just by showing it to him. I asked her what she thought croc man was, and she said third grade (?!). So I told her the sword is her brain and she can use it to beat croc man any day! Poor girl... oh, but there were fairies in the dream too, who were like small children (preschool size) with dragonfly wings who have their own play area on the playground with fairy size equipment. Best dream ever she said.

First and Third...

So, the odd years seem to be harder than the even years in school. Thomas, after 2 weeks of school, had 15 (yes, 15) pages of unfinished work, which, when he brought it home took him all of 20 minutes to finish. Attached to those pages was a note from the teacher that said he talks too much in class. I have had a couple of conversations with the teacher since then, and I think (oh man, I hope) things are getting better. He is completing a lot more of his work in class, and not spending every recess working on finishing his work. The thing is, he KNOWS this stuff, and the teacher even said he is a very bright student, he just spend a majority of his time listening to other kids talk (he told me "they say funny stuff!"). Focus has never been one of his strong points, and I am thinking this may hopefully just be a wrinkle that is working itself out. We have changed his morning diet from poptarts and yogurt to scrambled eggs and toast with cheese. More protein, less sugar. Also we have totally given up nintendo and tv during the week. They can play and watch on the weekends, but not during the school week, and so far (one week in) that is working out okay.

Glee also was having trouble in class, with math and she is still struggling with it a bit, but again, just a wrinkle, I hope... she has also taken up the clarinet and is learning music in school now. She is the only third grader playing anything other than the violin! Yes, all of her friends chose violin. When I explained that marching bands don't have string sections she took up clarinet. She's not too bad. She has figured out how to put the thing together, and how to blow without making a horrible screeching noise.

So, we are in full steam now. Girl Scouts is in the mix, and we are working on finding a Boy Scout Pack to join. We have checked out a couple but they aren't great fits (in one Thomas would be the ONLY tiger cub, and really, what fun is that?). Still looking... still here.

Thomas is 6 and 3 days...

So, for his birthday the man got to pick out anything in the world he wanted to do. After school we picked him (and Glee) up and came home for just a little homework (that has become an overwhelming but controllable problem already!)... then it was off to the Toyota Center for some ice skating and to Round Table Pizza after for dinner. He was totally happy and really enjoyed his day. The only bad part for him was he got two new nintendo games but he and Glee lost their nintendos for two weeks almost two weeks ago when it took them 10 hours (all day Saturday and part of Sunday) and their rooms still weren't clean. They aren't clean now, but I am more lenient with that than X is... so, needless to say, he has two brand new nintendo games and a gift card to Gamestop burning a hole in his pocket, and he can't play them, not yet.

Funny enough, they lost all tv, nintendo and computers on that fateful weekend and they have done surprisingly well going cold turkey. They play with each other a lot more, we have more family fun (playing Uno Attack has been really popular) and they are generally better behaved without all the electronics. Go figure.