Last few weeks of school
Hi all! Been a while.
With the end of this school year fast approaching, I have to wonder what the quality of education is going to be during these last few weeks.
Five non-educational weeks in the fall and I believe a couple of the same coming the end of June. I speaking mostly for the 5th grade and older bunch.
Some Juniors and Seniors won't be attending the last few weeks as they will be working. The school requires a parent note and employer note stating the on-the-job hours the student will get during that time. Did these kids get their 180 days??
Some Sophmore and Freshmen students are reporting that their teachers are telling them that they don't have to come to school the last couple weeks...anyone hear the same?
Kennywood Day - Sunday, June 22nd. Anyone go as a family? If so, are your kids going to school on the 23rd? My kids are always in school (unless they are truly sick, obviously)...it is a priority and they know it. However, I'm seriously considering letting them stay home on the 23rd.
I didn't think that my kids being in school through the end of June would bother me, and it really doesn't. My kids will be in air conditioning, unlike many others. What bothers me is (no news here) the fact that the kids were denied a full year of education. How many days will they really get out of this year? And did anyone really care?
Up until this year, we had encountered one deadwood teacher in 9 years. We have two that have checked out already this year. One teacher has told the students, on more than one occassion, that she does not feel like teaching today...read your poetry book. Nice.
None of you CGBs probably even care about this stuff, and that's all good too. Sounds like you've been having a lot of fun. I'm officially a lurker now...not much time to keep up, just needed to get a load off...
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We have had a great year at school even with the Strike. As for Kennywood day we will be attending as we do every year and I will not be sending my kids to school the next day. I even got the BYGO coupon for Sandcastles and that is also scheduled on a school day so personally I don't think the school really cares if kids are their or not cause you would have thought they would have changed the days. I don't know about you but both my kids 3rd. and 5th. got an education this year the teacher's I talked to yesterday all know what they need to have accomplished by the end of the year. I still have alot of respect for them but that makes me different because I am union and understand what and how they did what they had to do. I am not going to re-hash this all again but wanted to just comment on that we had great teacher's this year and all went well.
If you have ever worked in the classroom at this time of year, it is always challenging to get the students to work, just because they know a long break is coming. This happens all the time, maybe worse now due to the strike, but it always happens. When I worked at two different schools, before any type of break the natives would always get restless. It is what it is.
It's always hard towards the end of the school year. I've been in the classroom and know first hand as well.
My point is that the kids are getting less than the required 180 (or whatever the number is) days of instruction. MUCH less this year. I hate rehashing too, but something CAN be done so that this does not happen again...to our children's children and so on. Eventually, PA will catch up with the other 37 states and figure this out.
Time is precious and valuable and so much time was wasted this school year.
:)
I care. My kids are starting to lose interest. They find Mondays tough, as most of us do, but they used to be more motivated to get going. I think some of the nice days we have had contribute to this. They would rather be in the pool. We have had great teachers this year, and my kids have done pretty well. I do agree, I do not think much will be accomplished in the next few weeks.
As for Kennywood, we bought the tickets, but will use them for a week day during the summer.I never understood why they do Kennywood day on a Sunday.
Kennywood is normally on the Tuesday a week or two after the last day of school. They had to make it a Sunday this year for obvious reasons; although, don't know why they couldn't have done a Tuesday in July? Maybe figuring too many families would be on vacation.
Hi Avoice, it’s nice to see you back posting. I have one left at SV in high school. I haven’t noticed a huge amount of disinterest on her part and haven’t heard a lot of reference to teachers not doing anything. I check class roll regularly and they still are being tested on new material. I did hear some kids talking about the chorus classes are not doing much more this year because they have already had their spring concerts (which were put on the school calendar pre-strike). I do know the kids really enjoyed finally having a long weekend last week and the two half days on Wednesday and Thursday. It was good for them to get a break.
The kids are very aware that graduation is next Friday and that should have been their last day of school. It will be interesting to see what the last few weeks of school will bring. My daughter and I went clothes shopping recently and she used the “school is going to be really hot in June” argument to me so I would buy her the sun dress she wanted. It will be interesting to see how much the girls try to push the dress code and how much enforcement there actually will be in June.
We have had one of those "new and inexperienced" teachers this year. She was great. Fantastic projects, right amount of homework, new skills. My bigger concern is getting a teacher next year who continues to motivate as well...but time will tell. Children did excellent, so it seemed to have worked. The last few weeks of school are always tough, be it now or at the end of June.
Any problems we've ever had with teachers have been the ones that have been around for a long time. I think some just get burned out. The new teachers tend to be enthusiastic and excited about their work. It's great when your kids have a good experience.
I can't agree with you on that at all there is a wonderful caring and good first grade teacher at Haine School who has been their for awhile. Every year she has done a great job. My kids have since been out of her class and I have other neighbors kids in her class and no complaints. So with any "older or younger" teacher you will still have bad and good but that also goes with any job too.
I never said all older or younger teachers were good or bad. I'm on my third child in this district and every teacher we ever had issues with had been at the school for a long time. In my history, that's probably 7-8 teachers between the three kids. Most, not all, of the brand new teachers bring a fresh energy and approach to teaching. That's just been my experience.