No daily contact with teachers!

[peg2001]

My DD just started kindergarten this year and the school has developed a drop-off and pick-up procedure that actually prevents any actual contact between parent and teacher. They ask for parents to NOT get out of their car but rather to drop the child off at the sidewalk in front of the school. You can imagine that the traffic back-up this causes is a nightmare. I disregard their wishes and park my car in the parking lot and walk my DD in. Even so, the kids do not go to their classroom but to a large room they call "bus hall." Parents are not allowed in the bus hall so I give DD a hug once inside the school and she walks into bus hall.

At pick-up, again the cars line up at the sidewalk and they bring the kids out 6 at a time. Each parent has to keep a colored sheet with their child's name on it on the dashboard so they know who to retrieve from inside the school. This is great from a safety perspective but prevents the parent from ever actually seeing or talking to the teacher on a daily basis.

Parents can call and leave voicemail for the teachers and can arrange for conferences, however, I miss the daily touching base on what happened that day and if there were any upsets in my DDs school day that I had in the private preschool she attended.

Peggy

 

[nicurn]

hi, we also have the pick up/drop off car thing, but we can park if we want and go into school. If the children arrive before 750am they go to the cafeteria or the gym, depending on grade level and wait for their teacher to pick them up. (I've been in there and never been told I couldn't be). If you arrive after 750, you just go right to your classroom. I still go with my dd and chat with the teacher, no one has told me I can't. We just have to sign in in the office and get a visitor's pass first.
Can you sign up to volunteer in the classroom or something like that? Our teachers love to have help. maggie

 

[Spinning]

that was a hard adjustment for me last year when DD went to Kindergarten. Preschool was so nice you saw the teacher every morning.
But to tell you the truth it is for the best. If every parent or a large majority walked the kids to class how would they keep track of who should be in the school and who shouldn't? Who left or who stayed behind? In this day and age not all adults are nice and safe around children.
We have the same drive pick up and as time goes on it will go by faster.
What I did last year was volunteer as much as I could and was in the classroom on a regular bases. Plus if you have an issue or concern call the teacher.

 

[Disney Doll]

Boy, times have changed!

As a kindergardener, I don't think my mother talked to my teacher 10 times the whole school year. At the end of school, the teacher would lineus up,we'd walk outsdie and all run to our mothers and the teacher would wave goodbye. If a parent needed to talk to the teacher, they'd call and make an appointment. I can't imagine needing to talk to the teacher every day. Imagine how long each after school pick up would take, if every parent has to talk to the teacher every day.Wow!

 

[4greatboys]

My 12 yr olds elementary started that when he was in 4th grade. I hated it. Even though he was old enough to walk to class alone I walked with him, he really enjoyed our morning routine. Then one day we came in and teachers were lined across the hall to take your kid to class (and to stop you from going down the hall).
I walked him anyway. Next day the principal was waiting for me. She was whining about this new policy--which was a bunch of crap to me. So as I turned to give him ds a hug before he went to his class she put her hand on my shoulder-as if to stop me. We have an unpleasant exchange (in her office, not in the hall).
These ppl send home fund raisers for me to raise money for a school Im not welcomed to walk in in the mornings. I think not. I never sent 1 penny to that school after that. I am lucky enought o be a sahm now but for working parents its the only time some may have to check out the inside of the school--make sure it is clean and maintained. And to see their childs teacher.
Guess you can see this is a very sore spot with me

 

[Mskanga]

I do not get to talk to any of my children's teachers except for the open house night and Parent Teacher conference day but it's what I call, no news is good news, I'm sure if they have a problem they will call me and let me know. My kids can be dropped off in school and we are allowed to bring them in but not go into their classrooms at all, the teachers come to pick them up from the main entrance. My kids both go to school with the bus so I don't have to worry about that, I avoid going to school especially at drop off and pick up times at all cost, it's kaos city with so many cars.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

Yep, it's a tough adjustment to make when your child enters regular school after preschool. You are used to daily feedback, but suddenly have to realize that a large part of your kid's day will be unknown to you. Don't worry, you'll get used to it.

Imagine if every parent wanted to talk to every teacher every day. When would the teacher be able to plan?

 

[tedsmom]

Why on earth would you need to talk to your child's teacher on a daily basis?

 

[aprincessmom]

I enjoyed seeing DD's teachers each day when she was in pre-school and then in kindergarten. But I fully understand the rules at our school about dropping off/picking up at the front door. With over 1000 children in the school, it would be mayhem to have parents roaming around during entry and dismissal.

Besides, I didn't really enter into too many conversations with the teachers before other than standard greetings...they were busy with the other children in their care and I didn't feel right taking them away from their primary duties for a blow by blow report of my child's day. I could get that just by talking to DD or by scheduling one-on-one time with the teachers themselves.

 

[sharbear]

I don't think that the issue is that you want to talk to the teacher every day but that you have the opportunity if you want to. Some of these policies are made to protect the safety of the children. It is hard to monitor who is coming in and out of the school when the parents can walk the kids in, I am sure that this is why the school went to this policy. It's just not very friendly.

I have older children now and it is less important to know my kids teachers. They just e-mail me their grades now. But I have to say that to talk to the teacher once in while on a casual basis was very comforting when they were young. My kids were never troublemakers but occ. they had issues. Not ones that were very important but ones that I wanted to touch base with.

Since the school is making it so hard for you to talk to the teacher maybe you can call her every so often. Like you my kids don't ride a bus to school and I do know the nightmare of drop off and pick up. The school is doing the best that they can do to insure the safety of the kids. Drop off and pick up are very dangerous when parents are allowed to run amouk and the school is trying to look out for the best interests of the kids.

 

[Pin Wizard]

DS's school has been doing similar things since he's been there. That's 5 years now. We can drop off in the back up to 4th grade. Older kids get dropped off out front in a drop off lane. They keep the line moving. Better not waste time giving that kiss as a priest yelled at me for holding up the line one morning. And at back to school night each year, the principal reminds us that there are to be NO "sidewalk chats" with the teachers.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

{{{HUGS}}}
While I wouldn't want to talk to the teacher daily (my kids ride ride the bus), I DO NOT like the school telling me I am not allowed into my childs school.
Baloney.

 

[ZebraStripes]

Does the teacher have a school email address?

My DD7 takes the bus so this is how I keep in contact with the teacher. Last year in kindergarten we were in touch 1 or 2 times a week depending on what was going on. The teacher would always get back to me within a couple of hours. This year in first grade, i even get answers after hours and on weekends.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I remember that it was a shock to me when my youngest son started at his current school. All the doors are locked to outside entrance and the parents have to be buzzed into the office where they sign in and get Visitor's badges.

I was used to being able to just walk in and cruise around on my own. But it is a safety measure for the kid's benefit -- and parent's are allowed into the classroom at any time to observe. They just have to follow the procedure.

 

[CamColt]

Im finding thats a big adjustment too. DS takes the bus so I dont even see the school everyday. I feel like Im not involved at all anymore, and its tough. The teacher has called me twice so at least Ive had some contact with her.
I guess thats just the way it is when they grow up so we better get used to it now. One thing I do though, is put a note in his folder when I have a concern about somthing, and she is really great about responding.
Good luck!

 

[POLLY ANN]

My dd did 2 years of preschool and I HATED having to drop her off 2 - 3 days a week! I couldn't wait until she could ride the school bus to school! Maybe if she had been at preschool longer than 2 1/2 hours, but it was just too short a period of time for all that driving! (Plus I had younger ones in the car with me.)

I looked at her going to full day kindegarten as a new chapter in her life and was very excited for all that she was going to do and learn. Plus I ask her everyday when she gets home and while she has a snack how her day went and what she did, and she tells me

We aren't allowed to go into the school whenever we want, which I don't have a problem with. They have times where you can volunteer in the classroom, and I communicate via email or send a note in with my dd to school.

 

[CarolA]

Look at it this way, you want them to let "you" come and go as you please.

How can they tell "you" from "child molestor"? As you know, people who do horrible things to kids look just like you and me. You can't expect everyone at the school to know that you are an OK mom or dad (and unfortunatly just because someone had a kid at your school does not make them a "good person") So you have a choice, open acess where anyone can get to your child or much more restricted access.

Me I'd choose restricted.

 

[nicurn]

Personally, I enjoy walking my child into school. Yes, I do talk to the teacher on a pretty regular basis, mostly, hi how are you, do you need anything photocopied, etc. It's just kind of nice knowing what's going on. I figure that I'm showing my child that her education is important to me. My dd enjoys knowing that I am in the school on a regular basis and that all the teachers know who I am. (it always helps to be pta prez I guess ) Maybe you could go to lunch with your child sometimes? Good luck! maggie

 

[SilverLily]

I agree with CarolA! I would never want my DD's school to let every parent walk through the halls at anytime. Any nut would be able to get inside and shoot up the place if they wanted. I can't believe after the recent ordeal with the sniper that anybody would want adults free to roam about their child's school.

 

[bumcat]

Our school is the same way but I don't have a problem with it. We can email or write a note to the teacher and make an appt.
We also get a folder with an update in it each day.
You have to remember there are some flaky parents also and one parent may want to talk for hours, that's not fair to the teacher. I'm sure he/she would like to hurry and go home to their families. I would rather it be this way then for anyone to be able to wonder all thru the schools especially in the mornings.
You just can't trust people like you use to. Imagine if some pervert hid in the school in the morning and then did something horrible to your child. I'ld rather be safe then sorry.
Our schools have also started locking all doors except the front which I'm sure is for safety reasons.