Is The School Getting Off To A Good Start?


Annabelli
 Share

Recommended Posts

Are your children excited about the new school year?

With the VA Tech Massacre ending the last physical year, the kids here seem to be uplifted to be back at school but the nonchalant is more a solemn at high school. When it was cool to leave tread marks on the campus parking lot, many are now wondering where those tire treads may lead in life. Or how their lives may be altered during the course of the year.

The younger children (K-8) seem less demanding of material things and are showing more gratitude for the values in their lives. They have more compassion for their parents and their teachers and are more thankful for their homes and communities.

Thats to say what the majority are like.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My kids are definitely excited about starting off the school year. Ivy is very happy to be back in football, her AP classes and seminary...in that order. :) Bryan is enjoying Biology far more than he ever thought possible. And Katie?! She's in heaven! Volleyball, choir and all her friends?! She could literally keel over from the excitement of it all!!

Let's all just keep our fingers crossed that the school year will continue on as well as this first week!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is weird for me because this is the first year I don't have a child starting school in 20 years! My baby graduated High School last spring and she chose not to attend school this fall. I wished I would have been able to talk her into going but it was not going to happen for fall.

I still love this time of year and the feelings that it brings to mind. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My kids were excited to be back in school. They have some great classes. I'm basically homeschooling one. He is doing a program online. Much better for him. At least he stands a chance of graduating this way. I'm just now learning how expensive having a senior can be. haha

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My son was very excited to start his new school today. He left his current secondary school because he was being bullied, and was really excited to start the new school with some of his friends who live nearby.

He was also afraid, because some 'doom and gloom' people thought it was in his best interest to warn him that he would likely be bullied at his new school...those people make my blood boil!! I'm not saying that I have unrealistic expectations of the new school, that bullies won't exist there...but the fact that he is starting his final 2 years which will lead to his GCSE exams, and starting it with a fresh outlook, and no baggage from previous years, and with the support of his many friends who attend that school made me wish him the best and confidence to face whatever the school day brought him...good or bad.

When he returned from school he had a great big grin on his face, and couldn't stop talking to me about all the new friends he'd made and how 'cool' the teachers were at that school!!! I was overjoyed and do hope that the rest of his time at this school will be as pleasant as today was for him.

My daughter was excited to get back to college and her work placement because she gets really bored during school/college holidays, she has been searching for work all the time she's been at college and during the holidays and needed to get back to the routine that college gives her.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My two kids at home both started College this year. They both enjoy it. My son who returned from his mission just over a month ago, quickly got registered. He is taking a Spanish class and is in the advance class. His Professor told him that she is intimidated by him in the class, because she has never had anyone as fluent as he is, in her class to date. My youngest daughter is adjusting and trying to enjoy College algerbra.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Responses to school:

Joy: It's my first day in my first grade . . . (sung to the tune of some song that I can't remember right now--but it's from a kids' show)

Grace: It wasn't really my first day, Dad--just orientation (spoken with the annunciation of an adult--so cute for a 5-yr old)!

Hosanna: "Slow start" for preschool starts tomorrow...will keep you all posted.

Parents: We'll have more free time, but also be busier. Momma misses summer. I'm not sure yet. God bless our teacher-warriors, though. They are overworked, underpaid, but dearly loved by this parent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oldest started 2nd grade. Middle started Kindergarden. Youngest started pre-school.

Everyone is thrilled so far. They all started dance classes for the first time as well. Big hit all around.

What kind of dance classes Jason?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<div class='quotemain'>

Oldest started 2nd grade. Middle started Kindergarden. Youngest started pre-school.

Everyone is thrilled so far. They all started dance classes for the first time as well. Big hit all around.

What kind of dance classes Jason?

Not ballet, but everything else?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<div class='quotemain'>

<div class='quotemain'>

Oldest started 2nd grade. Middle started Kindergarden. Youngest started pre-school.

Everyone is thrilled so far. They all started dance classes for the first time as well. Big hit all around.

What kind of dance classes Jason?

Not ballet, but everything else?

Awesome, I hope they enjoy them. My daugher who is almost 18 has been taking dance classes for quite a few years now. Everything from ballet to hip-hop. We are kind of hoping for a dance scholarship as she is a senior in high school this year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<div class='quotemain'>

<div class='quotemain'>

enjoy college algebra. :hmmm:

I was being sarcastic....LOL!!!!!...... :wow:

i think sarcastically is the only way to enjoy algebra...or geometry...or trig...

Are all of those math? haha I'm sorry to say I haven't taken a math class since 9th grade. j/k I knew they were math. Just was NEVER one of my favorite subjects. Now that I'm thinking about enrolling back in school it is the part I am dreading. I might have to start a thread just to have help with math problems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My oldest was supposed to be starting Primary Two but was put in Primary 3/2 instead, quite an achievement considering she started school a year early.

If I'm honest, I'm worried sick about her, she is only five and most of her class mates are about to turn seven, at that age, it's a huge difference when they are that young. She seems to be coping just fine, actually, she was complaining that her homework was too easy for her!! I find it quite hard to get my head around the fact that she seems to be really smart, half of me loves to tell people because I'm so proud of her, the other half of me wants to keep quiet about it because I don't want people to think I'm boasting! Am I going to end up with a scary child genius that's smarter than me?!

Quick question, would someone be able to explain the American school system to me? I get confused with pre school, kindergarten and so on.

Here in Scotland, kids go to nursery from 3-5 years, then primary school from 5-12, then secondary school from 12-16, with the option to leave after 4th year exams (standard grades) or stay on till they are 18 doing 5th and 6th year exams (highers) after that, it's college, uni or the real world. I frequently hear my American friends who are in university say they are in school, which always confuses me, as I think of school as either primary or secondary, and at 22, they are far too old to do either!

Sorry if that is a bit of a thread jack :sparklygrin:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My oldest was supposed to be starting Primary Two but was put in Primary 3/2 instead, quite an achievement considering she started school a year early.

If I'm honest, I'm worried sick about her, she is only five and most of her class mates are about to turn seven, at that age, it's a huge difference when they are that young. She seems to be coping just fine, actually, she was complaining that her homework was too easy for her!! I find it quite hard to get my head around the fact that she seems to be really smart, half of me loves to tell people because I'm so proud of her, the other half of me wants to keep quiet about it because I don't want people to think I'm boasting! Am I going to end up with a scary child genius that's smarter than me?!

Quick question, would someone be able to explain the American school system to me? I get confused with pre school, kindergarten and so on.

Here in Scotland, kids go to nursery from 3-5 years, then primary school from 5-12, then secondary school from 12-16, with the option to leave after 4th year exams (standard grades) or stay on till they are 18 doing 5th and 6th year exams (highers) after that, it's college, uni or the real world. I frequently hear my American friends who are in university say they are in school, which always confuses me, as I think of school as either primary or secondary, and at 22, they are far too old to do either!

Sorry if that is a bit of a thread jack :sparklygrin:

A University or a College is a school of learning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My son misses the cutoff for Kindergarten by 12 days. Needless to say, he is very sad that almost everyone from his preschool class is going to 'real' school and he is not. I was going to try to get him in early by putting him through all the testing, but everyone I know who has tried jumped through hoops for no reason. It seems they are not letting anyone go early bc of the overcrowding in our schools.

That's OK though. I think he'll have the advantage of being the oldest in his class.

I don't even know if I can take him to school on the first day... may be a job for Daddy. I think I will be very emotional! :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My son misses the cutoff for Kindergarten by 12 days. Needless to say, he is very sad that almost everyone from his preschool class is going to 'real' school and he is not. I was going to try to get him in early by putting him through all the testing, but everyone I know who has tried jumped through hoops for no reason. It seems they are not letting anyone go early bc of the overcrowding in our schools.

That's OK though. I think he'll have the advantage of being the oldest in his class.

I don't even know if I can take him to school on the first day... may be a job for Daddy. I think I will be very emotional! :(

My daughter went through the same thing. Missed by 14 days. It worked out well for her though she will be graduating when she is almost 19. But that's okay too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<div class='quotemain'>

A University or a College is a school of learning.

Yeah I get that, it's just over here we never refer to college or uni as school, only primary and secondary, that's why I'm always like "Huh?" when they say it!

Hi Fairy_Cakes!

So, over here the kids go to pre-school from ages 3-5. 5 year olds start school with Kindergarten. From ages 6-11 they go to elementary school, which are grades 1st through 6th. Then it's on to Middle School (called Junior High when I was in school) for grades 7th & 8th (ages 12&13 usually). High School is grades 9th - 12th and usually ages 14-18. With cut-off dates and all, those ages can vary. After High School it's on the College or out in to the real world! Every so often you run across a genius such as your daughter... or my son who "skips" a grade or two and so is younger than the rest of the class. He seems to be coping just fine as well and plans to graduate after his "junior" year of high school which is 11th grade. He'll be just barely 16 years old...and while I'm very proud of him for his goals, it terrifies me that he will be so young and heading off to college. He wants to go to BYU, so let's all keep our fingers crossed for that.

Also, one other quirky school thing we have going on over here is called "home schooling" where you can teach your kids yourself. You get the curriculum either from the school district or various other sources and teach away! Many kids finish high school when they're like 12 or something. There are some parents on here that do the whole home schooling thing that can explain it way better than I.

Okay... clear as mud?! :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey thanks Susie!

Though when you said child geniuses like my daughter....oooh that made me squirm!

Very rarely, you will hear of a kid that is home schooled over here, it just isn't a popular option, and I think it's something like 2/3 of all mums that work outside of the home so that makes it impossible for many families. I was always a bit funny about home schooling as I thought that the kids wouldn't develop their social skills, I always thought that school was better from that perspective, as they are constantly interacting with other children and adults outside of the family unit, are there any home teaching parents reading who would like to comment on that? I might be dead wrong simply because I've never talked to anyone who does teach their children themselves, so I'd quite like to know how it's done, and what the pro's and cons are.

And since I love this smiley so much, I will put it in :sparklygrin:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i've got one that started 1st grade and one that started K this yr. they are having fun so far. my 1st grader came home after the first week and said it was to boring and to much writing, but he seems to be fine now. (we started back on aug. 9....i think it was lol around there)

as for which grades are called what; some do it a bit different. for us middle school / junior high is 6th - 8th grade. in our town we actually divide up elementary as well. we have K-2 in one school; 3-5 in another; 6-8 middle school; and then 9-12 high school. it's going to be a pain in a couple of yrs. we have no bus system and having kids in two different schools getting out at the same time.......we'll see how that goes.

we have several that home school in our area. if i've understood correctly in our state the home schoolers use what ever curriculum they would like. they have grade level tests provided by the state that they have to take at certian intervals to insure they are learning at or above grade level. however, they do not get a "high school diploma" here they take the GED. which is the equivilant. actually i hear it's harder than the HSCT (high school competency test) that you must pass to get a highschool diploma. if you can't pass that but you passed all your classes through school then you get a cirtificate of compleation at graduation and still have to go back and take the GED if you want to further your education. i have personal frustrations with the whole concept of the cirtificate of compleation, i see it as nothing more than an confession of the education system that they have failed students. a student passes every grade through 12 yrs of school and can't pass the exit exam???? sure the student could have done better but maybe they shouldn't have passed some of those grades to begin with. that is not the student's fault, and makes me wonder if they even taught the material to begin with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share