back to school

Fifth grade ?!?

Time sure flies. The kid is super-excited about going back to school, being a fifth grader, a safety patrol, and seeing all her friends. I'm a little less excited about early mornings, but can't help but smile at her enthusiasm and hope it rubs off on me a little bit.

Here we go ...

first day of school — fourth grade!

Walking to school ...

back to school shopping

Target was an absolute mess, but we miraculously were able to find a new pair of sneakers and all of the other school supplies that the kid needs for Monday. That's tomorrow, right? Yikes.

And so it — fourth grade — begins.

why the hell are third graders doing (or expected to do) algebra?

I ranted about third graders doing algebra the other day on Facebook, but I have to admit that I am still bugged and want to expand on my rant a bit.

Like every parent, I want my child to succeed, even exceed my expectations. I am no helicopter mom, and I don't think I am pushy or over-achieving. But watching my daughter struggle with third grade math this year has bothered me. I don't mind that she isn't getting it fast enough. What bothers me is that the difference between second and third grade math is so huge. Suddenly there are expectations and ramifications with every workbook and test she takes. This year she will be expected to take the FCAT (Florida's Comprehensive Assessment Test), which will not only determine her standing in her class, school and grade level, but also plays into her elementary school's rating.

The FCAT is administered annually, in late February and early to mid-March as well as April, to all public school students in grades three through eleven. Students in grades three through ten are required to take the reading and math portion every year. ... Students' results from the FCAT are compiled to generate a grade for each public school. Under this plan, public schools receive a grade from A to F, depending on student performance and the degree to which the bottom 25% of the school has improved compared to its past performances. The higher a public school scores, the more funding it receives." —  Wikipedia

The kid's school wants to keep its A rating, and as outlined above, its funding. So even more pressure is on the kids, as the hope from schools is not for a child to just do well for themselves, but to help keep their teachers hired and their special programs, like math tutoring, going.

I get that U.S. schools want to be more academically competitive (No Child Left Behind), but the math homework that the kid has been bringing home is frankly beyond most of the kids in her class — when 10 out of 16 kids need math tutoring in order to understand and complete their homework what does that say?

Here are two sample third grade questions:

Isabella cannot remember the product of 9 × 8. Which of the following is
another expression that Isabella could use to find the product of 9 × 8 ?

(9 × 5) + (9 × 3)
(9 × 4) + (9 × 2)
(9 × 1) + (4 × 2)
(9 × 2) + (8 × 6) 

Chris gave 2 beach balls to each friend who came to his birthday party. He had
8 friends at his party. Which equation could be used to find the total number
of beach balls Chris gave to his friends at the party?

8 × b = 2
b × 2 = 8
8 ÷ 2 = b
b ÷ 8 = 2

I'm sure she'll get all this down, but her class hasn't even mastered the times tables yet and she is already getting homework that includes problems like these. I can remember sitting in my third grade class a million years ago and the whole class having to recite the times tables out loud. It was boring and repetitive, but we all learned them.

I can't change the system, nor do I want my kid to fall behind if she doesn't have to (she is only struggling with math; thankfully reading has been a breeze). We have signed up for the math tutoring, mostly to help increase her comfort level and so homework doesn't seem to be such a chore. I want her to do well on the FCAT this spring, but I'm still not happy about testing anxiety being pushed at these kids at such young ages. I don't remember taking a major diagnostic test until I was in middle school. But times have changed. There are rumors circulating that the FCAT may even be replaced by another (even harder) test. Education is so important. When did it become so politicized?

Related articles

• Gov. Scott Dumps FCAT In Re-Election Move

third grade: first week wrap-up

She loves her teachers and is happy to see so many of her friends again.

This year she's in intermediate violin, which is three days a week. She'll even have a tutor in class to help her.

There's a third grade dance (!) but she's definitely not going, because one of her friends isn't either (uh huh, we'll see about that).

New year, new backpack.

She's only been in school a week and may miss Monday because of a potential tropical storm/hurricane.

This year she wants to bring her own lunch instead of eating the cafeteria food — except when they serve the tortillas she likes.

Sounds like things are off to a good start!

a second grader no more

On stage to receive her awards — all As this trimester!

At home she just felt like spinning.

A new third grader deserves a cake of some kind.

no more pencils, no more books ...

Today is the kid's last day of school. There is an award assembly in the morning and then she will probably have a pretty easy rest of the day, topped off by a pizza party.

School's out for summer!

how did that happen?

There are only 21 school days left in this year. I've picked a few weeks of "camp" to entertain the kid, but that means the rest of the summer she is going to be around. A lot.

Some of my fondest memories of summer are being bored out of my mind, wondering what to do with a whole day off. But the sooner we got to having to go back to school the more I missed those lazy days.

I'm lucky, and I hope my daughter will feel so, that I don't have to keep her scheduled every waking moment. Boredom breeds creativity. At least I hope so. But I also I think it might be time for me to take up meditation, to prepare ...

why am i the only one who's nervous?

We went to my daughter's orientation today at her new school. Her first grade teacher was super-nice and the school looks great. There were tons of forms and a few fees that took me by surprise, but somehow I wasn't unprepared for the lack of preparedness or availability of information for new students. Seems to be the way things work in our country's under-paid, under-staffed school systems, no matter where you live. But they're all nice people presumably, and we'll figure it out as we go.



My six-year old girl will have to function more independently from the get-go - I can't even walk her to her classroom. She will "pay" for her lunch by punching in a key code on the cafeteria line. It should be interesting. I remember crying through my first semester of kindergarten, but it was my first time out of the house and out from under my mother's wing, so my growing pains were more severe. I hope. Anyway, we'll work it out.

Up very early tomorrow, quick breakfast (for her) and then we walk to school. Shades of Tom Sawyer, Florida-style. School's out early, 2pm (?!) so I signed her up for the part-time after-school program, which will give me a few more hours of my own and give her the opportunity to socialize a bit more with her new friends. There's a music program that's offered, but I'm still debating whether to go for that or not. One day a week, baby-violin lessons. Could be interesting.

But I'd have to get her a violin . . . And so it begins . . .

five days and counting . . .

. . . until the kid goes back to school. She's actually keeping the countdown. Last week, I was probably ready to start a countdown of my own, as she was finding an infinite variety of ways to get on my very last nerve—but as it stands now, I am actually the one who's sad that our summer vacation is coming to an end.

"But you're in Florida" you say, "It's a year-round summer vacation." Somehow, I don't feel that it will be like that. We'll see. Now I have to get everyone adjusted to a new routine. That's a job in itself, along with the twenty or so other jobs I have. But it will all work out. I'm looking forward to walking her to school every morning.

"How Little House on the Prairie of you," you might add. Damn right. Downsizing, simplifying, trying to find a little peace and hopefully burn off some of these eating-out-too-much calories—that's what I'm all about these days.

Enjoy the rest of your summer.

rock 'em sock 'em runway

So we didn't get to see Kenley get "auf'd" last night. Oh well, it's coming.

What is it about Project Runway that is so fun? I'm not even sure why we call shows like this "reality" shows anymore. They are long-format game shows, with a dash of soap opera thrown in. Runway is the only one I watch, for a variety of reasons.

1. It's about creativity. Some of its imitators may be, too, but Runway's got Tim Gunn and fashion is something we all participate in, on some level, unless we live in a nudist colony.
2. It's set in New Yawk.
3. It takes place at my alma mater (Parsons). What really adds an extra-special punch to watching this show is how accurately Project Runway captures the (my) art school experience. From the crushing deadlines, the low budget, the limited supplies, the competition. The bitchy critiques from both the judges (teachers) and other designers (students). It's like I was right back there. The only difference between art school and the world at large is that at art school (Runway) the critiques are public and out there for everyone to see and hear. This same sort of stuff goes on in our regular jobs too, it's just usually behind closed doors or your back.
4. Did I mention creativity? Everyone has had creative experiences, if just when they were a kid with crayons. Trying to make something from nothing is very human. And fascinating to watch.
   
5. It's about success and failure, something that obsesses most folks these days.

I refuse to peek ahead at the collections, as I'm enjoying my art-school-episodic-soap-opera, so please don't ruin it for me. I know you can just see the clothes, on the 'net, not who's the winner, but I don't even want to see that yet. I can wait. And it looks like next week will be a Babwa Wawa cry-a-thon. Tears at critiques? Yep, that how it was then. And still is now. Look out, Kenley...