Kindergarten mess Update #85!!!

[HelenePA]

I think the first thing the teachers should do is look at their schedules. Do the kids go to other rooms for music and art? how about library? If they make sure they plan the important learning for when the class next to them isnt in their room, that could be a start!

all those things start in K. prek doesn't do those things the poor teachers have had 2 weeks to try and fix this as best they could... like I said everyone thought it was going to be a higher grade in there not prek and k.... my dd8 was supposed to be in there not my five yr old son learning to read and write...

golfgal I'm pretty sure everyone is here to stay. We've tried to pass laws making it illegal to rent to illegals but it was shot down by a higher court or it might just be getting heard now.. i'm not sure.. I dont live in that town I live one town over.. its very strange how we were included in that district instead of the one almost 99 percent of the town is in. its always been this way though. i do NOT want to come off sounding prejudice.. I am not in any way shape or form.. we've tried to teach our kids some people just look different may it be skin color, height, weight but we are all the same

 

[1stluvispooh]

I know this is upsetting. But you have to realize that your son has no notion of what K-garten is suppose to be like. So I know you are upset but to him it will be normal so try and not project your unhappiness about the situation and I think he will have a good year.

Sorry that really sucks. One of the schools in the town I live in has an entire school like this. It's the open school concept, no walls at all except the outside ones. Luckily, I didn't have to go there. As a student, I wouldn't have been able to focus hearing all those extra noises from other "rooms". As a teacher, it would drive me batty too.

Have you, or did anyone ask about getting trailers, or whatever the PC term for them is now, until the expansion is done?

By friend's kids went to a school like that and then she wound up teacher there. She had cronick laryngitis one year. (the year I got married and she was to sign at my wedding!)

The PC term for the trailers in the "yard" of the school is learning cottages!

 

[HelenePA]

GolfGal—You are 100% WRONG. This community is the opposite of transient


Generation, upon generation, upon generation stay in this area. There is nothing transient about it.

We have had an influx of illegals come to this area as of late. I don’t know why, because it is not very welcoming to newcomers, sad as that may be.

But the local families have been here for 100+ years.

my kids are the fifth generation going to this same school. We've been here as long as our families came over on the boat at least 100 years ago...

 

[hentob]

I dont know where I could get a loan by monday though...

Can you petition NSkook and say “Hey! I live in Frack. I want my children to go there!” Even if you have to drive them

Don’t forget that Catholic Schools will try very hard to give you a needs based scholarship. In Tmqa, the parochial school (St. Jerome’s Regional) will help you out greatly I know it may hurt your pride, but go to the Catholic school and explain what is going on. They will help you.

Good luck to you. We loved the education our children received in Skook public schools. Just loved it! We moved out of state this summer and I am confident our children will have no problems academically.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I dont know where I could get a loan by monday though... and by the time it would go thru the heat factor would be over but it looks like next thursday will be the end of the 90s (at least for a week or so) the heat has me more concerned right now than noise. I really dont think the school system thinks its okay.. I just dont see any other options.. we're out of room inside the school and outside... no one wants their taxes raised, no one wanted to spend the money in the last five years to fix this before it go to THIS point but now here we are and now some of us are paying for it dearly... the prek and k classes of this year are going to suffer greatly because of it...

Maybe your son will be just fine. I know there are many children who would be able to handle it. I've just worked with autistic and other needs children for the past year and have a son with ADHD and SID, so I'm sure I'm looking at it more through their eyes. If your son is pretty typical, he'll probably do ok.

Sad, though, that those who aren't typical and going to have to go through this. With my son's sensory issues, honestly it would be impossible for him.

 

[hentob]

Sad, though, that those who aren't typical and going to have to go through this. With my son's sensory issues, honestly it would be impossible for him.

That would be torture for a child that has issues like that. Pure torture

 

[Magpie]

Me, I'd play it by ear. Send him, keep an eye on things (volunteer if you can!), and if it doesn't work out then withdraw him and send him back next year.

You said you thought he'd learn more from a teacher than from you, but honestly, he won't - especially if he can't hear her! Odds are, he'll learn just as much from the teacher, and different things from his classmates, than he'll learn from you. If you spend the year reading storybooks to him and doing some fun alphabet/reading-readiness games, he'll come out just fine. You might even end up teaching him to read.

However, you don't really need to make any firm decisions now. Wait, see what you need to do, and THEN do it.

My son went part time during kindergarten, due to his particular issues. He went to school two or three days a week, and the other days we toured around town. We visited the police station, fire station, museums, the river, art galleries, the tailor's, the big computer servers at daddy's work, anywhere people were willing to show him what they do and how they do it. Then when we got home I'd get him to dictate to me a report of his day - it took ten minutes with him babbling and me typing as fast as I could. Then I'd send one copy to the person we'd visited and save one copy to show his teacher.

It turned out to be a great year for everyone! And I treasure the book we made together.

 

[HelenePA]

Can you petition NSkook and say “Hey! I live in Frack. I want my children to go there!” Even if you have to drive them

Don’t forget that Catholic Schools will try very hard to give you a needs based scholarship. In Tmqa, the parochial school (St. Jerome’s Regional) will help you out greatly I know it may hurt your pride, but go to the Catholic school and explain what is going on. They will help you.

Good luck to you. We loved the education our children received in Skook public schools. Just loved it! We moved out of state this summer and I am confident our children will have no problems academically.

I'm pretty sure I CAN send him to NSkook but I'd have to pay tuition.. They are actually cracking down on that at the doah by checking residency for the first time or they will have to pay tuition. my soon to be sister in law's bro goes to st. jeromes its either there or Ma. City I have a friend pulling his daughter out of the doah because almost the whole class speaks only spanish... now this might be un pc? but why not have all the ESL students in the same class? call me stupid.

 

[hentob]

i do NOT want to come off sounding prejudice.. I am not in any way shape or form.. we've tried to teach our kids some people just look different may it be skin color, height, weight but we are all the same

I am not ashamed to say I despise people who break the law and come into my country illegally.

Then they flood schools with children and parents that can’t speak English. They can’t do well on tests, more teachers must be hired to help these children of law breakers. Translators galore. Free breakfasts/lunches are handed out left and right .

It makes a mess of the already financially unstable schools.

Bless the children and all of that other weepy yadda-yadda, but this has to stop Our children are being pushed out of classrooms due to criminals.

 

[NMAmy]

In 8th and 9th grade, I went to a brand new junior high that was designed with an open floor plan. Library in the center with open walls. A huge room was divided into four areas for the core classes (English, Math, Science, and Social Studies) and each of those areas was divided into four classrooms with just 5' partitions between them. So we're talking 16 classrooms of 30 or so students in one enormous room with a library in the middle. The only classrooms in the building that were in a traditional classroom were typing classes (which shows my age a bit!) and foreign language classes.

It never bothered me or my classmates as far as I can remember. It's served me well over the years since I work in an open area and I'm often asked how I can be so focused on tasks without letting conversations and background noises bother me. I am completely able to tune everything out and can refocus very quickly when someone is speaking to me directly. I have no need of headphones or any other noise blocking tool.

Your child really doesn't know how kindergarten is supposed to be. I'm sure he and the teachers will find a way to cope. The lack of A/C and being unable to open windows/doors is the part that would concern me the most.

 

[golfgal]

GolfGal—You are 100% WRONG. This community is the opposite of transient


Generation, upon generation, upon generation stay in this area. There is nothing transient about it.

We have had an influx of illegals come to this area as of late. I don’t know why, because it is not very welcoming to newcomers, sad as that may be.

But the local families have been here for 100+ years.

I meant the influx of illegals-they don't tend to stay in one community for more than a few years at best.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Well I too would be upset, though I agree try not to let your son see it so he goes in positive about it.

I suspect the reason it is the younger kids is because it will be hot and older kids in the pre-pubesent years when they get warm will get sweaty and, I suspect it would smell like a gym in there.

When my HS outgrew itself we did the trailers as classrooms as well. They were on the grass, in the parking lot, it reduced parking but we managed.

I personally don't like the concept of open classrooms, we chose to not buy a house because the kids would hvae gone to that type of school, but I am sure it can work if it is set up for that purpose, but a gym is not and I suspect they are going to have problems. However I think having him be in an older grade would be worse as there is so much more to learn.

I tink it's great that the teacher plans to take the kids outside to learn and they can learn out there, our teachers do that sometmes when it's too hot in our non A/C school, but what will she do when your PA winters start?

I think it stinks but you are going to have to accept it for the year and hope for the best.

I am sure they have considered this but if the high school is attached do they have room available? And is there no where to park trailers?

 

[HelenePA]

Well I too would be upset, though I agree try not to let your son see it so he goes in positive about it.

I suspect the reason it is the younger kids is because it will be hot and older kids in the pre-pubesent years when they get warm will get sweaty and, I suspect it would smell like a gym in there.

When my HS outgrew itself we did the trailers as classrooms as well. They were on the grass, in the parking lot, it reduced parking but we managed.

I personally don't like the concept of open classrooms, we chose to not buy a house because the kids would hvae gone to that type of school, but I am sure it can work if it is set up for that purpose, but a gym is not and I suspect they are going to have problems. However I think having him be in an older grade would be worse as there is so much more to learn.

I tink it's great that the teacher plans to take the kids outside to learn and they can learn out there, our teachers do that sometmes when it's too hot in our non A/C school, but what will she do when your PA winters start?

I think it stinks but you are going to have to accept it for the year and hope for the best.

I am sure they have considered this but if the high school is attached do they have room available? And is there no where to park trailers?

I seriously can not stress how small our school district is.. there was a 1000 total kids in k-12 when i was there. The high school side already has at least 4 "learning cottages" as someone put it the parking space is minimal at best. Last I heard the teachers are going to have to pay the firehouse across the street to park there this year.

I'm just going to suck it up.. I knew this yesterday. I know there is no other option.. maybe getting a loan and sending him to catholic but I'd have to check with Dh... the only debt we have right now is the mortgage. Maybe we'll look into online schools to. I was just hit with this last night. I wrote the first post when I was seriously mad about this whole thing. I've calmed down. I'll put on my happy face today when he gets up. I'll do my best to make it sound cool to be in those class rooms and get to go outside to learn right now.. his sisters will be jealous that might help things His teacher told us another way she'll deal with the heat is icy pops even though they aren't supposed to have them because they are a "sugary treat" and they have that healthy living crap going on down there... blah... We can send snacks in for them too.. any one have any ideas for cold snacks for me? I'll go shop tonight for them. I gotta buy a fan anyway. Pudding.. would that be good ya think? that's pretty cheap and kids love it right? Maybe those individual ice creams...

 

[golfgal]

Would there be enough parents available to man the doors so they could keep them open and keep an eye on who is going in and out of the school? That might be a temporary solution until the heat breaks. We have had a couple days of cool weather but it is supposed to get hot again this weekend. Hopefully you will get the same cool weather for a couple days.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I get the healthy treats thing, our school is on a total health movement too. I buy the blended yogurts and freeze them with a spoon in them. They eat them like a popcicle till the end then they use the spoon. Fruit on the bottom doesn't work as good. Gogurts too but they don't stay frozen very long. Also you can make smoothies and freeze them, my mid day they are slushy.

 

[Liberty Belle]

That would be torture for a child that has issues like that. Pure torture

Yep, and you're not being overly dramatic, either. Not only would it be torture for him, but it would make him regress, too, as far as his sensory issues go. I know many children like him. I would have to find another option. I wouldn't have a choice. Hopefully OP's son and all his classmates guilty will be able to cope and thrive.

 

[smb6]

How horrible! I would be SO upset also.... It sounds like you are handling it well though.... offering to buy a fan and staying positive since there is really not much that can be done about it. Like another poster mentioned, only speak positively around your son since he will definately follow your lead. I think the set up is crappy, but hopefully it works out...

 

[golfgal]

Frozen grapes are a good snack too and since they are fruit-they can be considered "healthy"

 

[mjkacmom]

I don't know if it's national or regional, but if a child isn't a strong reader by the end of kindergarten, he or she will not move on to first grade here. Children are expected to know their numbers and letters before entering kindergarten (as well as writing their names, addresses, phone numbers, counting...).

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Frozen grapes are a good snack too and since they are fruit-they can be considered "healthy"

Yes, my kids love these and they take them to schoo, my snack time they are kind of slushy they love them.