DS is being very naughty right now!

[Cyndiu]

DS is furious with me right now because I'm making him go to school. There's a field trip to that new basketball movie today (why, I have no idea) and he didn't even tell me about it because he doesn't care to see it. Says that if he goes in he'll be stuck with busy work all day and his teachers won't even be there because they're all going to the movie. I told him that's unfortunate, but his grades are not good enough right now for him to pick and choose what he wants to participate in and what he doesn't. Oh boy, right now he won't even get out of bed and he's 14 and bigger than me!

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Just a little pet peeve of mine, but with all the issues of American kids not getting a quality education, why do they take them out of school to go on a field trip like that? Unless the movie is somehow related to a book or topic they're studying, they should be IN SCHOOL. I remember when my DD's grade went to see The Grinch. Huh???? They certainly weren't READING about it in school, it had no historical, mathematical, grammatical significance to their education. They didn't discuss it before or after the movie. (Keep in mind...I have no idea what basketball movie you mean...is there any educational VALUE in seeing it??) Maybe you should keep him home and keep him "busy" today...I sure could use a day's labor of a strong kid.

Oh boy...I'm cranky already this morning. I need some coffee.

 

[tar heel]

You think maybe he isn't interested in the movie because he isn't eligible for the trip? When my middle schooler has trips like that they are INCENTIVE trips and only "upper level" (complicated system combining grades and behavior) get to go. You have to be on upper level to go to dances and play sports, too.

 

[WDWAurora]

The sad thing is that I completely understand why he would want to stay home on a day like this.

Oh, and MaryAnnDVC-This movie does have pretty strong historical significance, even if it is pretty fictionalized. If they're studying civil rights/race relations issues at all, I can see where it would help them relate to the time period (Glory Road being the new bball movie). I haven't actually seen it, but it does sound as though it would be invaluable to teach things that kids growing up in this time period cannot understand from lecture alone.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Well, OK then. LOL It sounds like it serves a better purpose than The Grinch. I would hope tho that they would then DISCUSS the movie afterwards. But, that's neither here nor there, if he doesn't see it!

 

[Cyndiu]

Well, he went. Turns out you needed a C or better in Social Studies to go on this trip and right now (due to missed homework and a test he didn't study for) he's got a 68 average.

DH and I have been working with him to get him back on track and getting weekly progress reports from his teachers as well. He's come up some, but 68 isn't high enough to qualify. I do believe that he'll be bored and lonely today, but I wouldn't be doing him any favors if I excused him from what is essentially a punishment, right?

Anyway, it's that new basketball movie "Glory Road" about the coach in the 60s (I think) who was the first to play an all african american starting lineup, or something. Not sure what it has to do with social studies (except that they've just started studying the civil war) maybe the teacher is going to tie it back to that era by showing how long it took for blacks in america to begin to get equal rights?

I agree that kids should be in school and not at the movies, but I have nothing against this movie specifically.

 

[MELSMICE]

I do believe that he'll be bored and lonely today, but I wouldn't be doing him any favors if I excused him from what is essentially a punishment, right?

You are absolutely correct. You did the right thing.

 

[tar heel]

As the mother of three sons, I was pretty sure he wasn't eligible to go. He absolutely needs to be at school being bored and probably embarrassed about not being on the trip.

I think this movie is a really good way to teach kids how separate America was just a few decades ago. It will likely be much more effective than what the teacher might do in class, especially for some kids.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

DS is furious with me right now because I'm making him go to school. Oh boy, right now he won't even get out of bed and he's 14 and bigger than me!

Well...you can join me then...MEAN MOMS UNITE!!!!

14yodd...well DH & I got an email from her Math teacher...It seems as if she is failing. Hmmmmm...
Good timing. Parent/Teacher Open house was last night.
DD is getting punished for not letting us know her situation. Grounded from TV, Computer, Games...till Tuesday. She has to take 2 Math tests.

Also she is going to go to morning tutoring, every morning until this gets under her control.

Nope...no happy teens here either.

 

[laura001]

It is so tough being a Mom sometimes. You always want the best for your kids and you want to protect them from the big bad ugly world, I think you did the right thing considering the rules/circumstances at school.

I am torn between this in a sense because he is being held back as he grades aren't high enough (as long as there is no behaviour problem), essentially isn't it hurting him not going as he would be missing out on a learning experience? Just a thought?

 

[Cyndiu]

He probably is missing out on a learning experience by not seeing the movie. Not sure how to handle though. They can't test on it because he isn't the only one not going. Apparently there are a couple of others academically ineligible and at least one kid who can't go for religious reasons. (Don't ask me, I don't know)

Since they're studying the Civil War though, I'm thinking that he and I will watch the Ken Burns Civil War series (I got the DVDs for Christmas last year) over the weekend and I can discuss it with him as it goes. He has the misfortune of having a mom that has been a Civil War buff for her entire adult life. If this kid doesn't do well on this section of history, I may kill him!

 

[Cyndiu]

I am torn between this in a sense because he is being held back as he grades aren't high enough (as long as there is no behaviour problem), essentially isn't it hurting him not going as he would be missing out on a learning experience? Just a thought?

By the way, his teachers are unanimous in their reports that this isn't a behavior problem. He's just extremely lazy. In fact, his math teacher is a close friend of my sister and she said he's very polite and not a problem at all, they can't understand why he won't do anything and it isn't an intelligence problem.

 

[MamaLema]

If you're kids don't hate you once in a while, you're not doing a good job

 

[Mimi Q]

I think you did the right thing. (By the way, when my older DD was in 6th grade the class went on a field trip to see the "Cat in the Hat". I see no educational value in seeing Mike Meyers' in a cat suit.)

 

[MELSMICE]