The other day we were told that summer school has been cancelled due to budget cuts. Basically we were told to hang on tight...If the kids don't pass the end-of-grade test there WILL be summer school (bare bones), but nothing for our Local Standards summer school kids. They will be retained, no questions asked. Sigh. We were also told to expect to run out of copy paper in April. This has me really mad because all teachers have 1,500 copies/month. In Sept, Oct and Nov, I was really cutting it close (almost maxed out every month), but then I really got things more under control and since then I have averaged about 600-800 a month. Why should I be told "sorry, that's it!" If I've been way under my copy count lately? Grrrr!! No pink slip yet, but I'm bracing
Wow. We don't even have a copy limit. I probably make about 2000 to 3000 copies every month.... I agree, asking for donations would be your best bet!
Summer school canceled here, too. But we were told to split the kids up into those who may not have passed the state test and those who will and create a "summer school" class for the last six weeks of school. Then when the results finally do show up, the ones who didn't pass will be ready to retake the test at the end of the year. I sure would be annoyed if I were one of the kids who did pass and had been forced to sit in a "summer school" intensive instruction-type setting for the last six weeks of school.
I'm sorry Pisces. I agree about asking for donations. I hope things get better and you don't get a pink slip!!!
I live in/near a very high-economic area. Summer schools are VERY big here, but not for remedial (or perhaps even SCHOOLING) reasons. Here, I believe that some parents look at it as the CHEAP choice. The other alternative...and it STILL is so much of keeping-up-with-the-Jones... is sending them to expensive day camps or sometimes off for the entire summer to residence camps. (I KNOW... a WHOLE different world than MOST of us live!) So summer school is (somewhat) what families who are $$-concious do to "entertain" their kids and make them feel better when their chums talk about all the cool things they are doing at the pricey camps. Summer school IS the cheap way out. (Side Note: when we moved here, and I started to realize how "things worked"... I remember the woman who lived across the back of us saying one year, "I HATE these summer camps! We can't afford them, and I have to decide which to send them too. The one the kids are peer-pressured to go to -that we certainly can't afford, or another one that we can't afford that they don't like...but isn't SO bad on our wallets." I looked at the women of the neighborhood -none wanting to VOICE their distain for the life they were TRYING to live, but nodding their heads in agreement. And I asked, "So why DO it? Why not have them NOT go to camp, but stay home instead?" Oh MY GOSH!!!! You would have thought i flew in from another planet. And then they would have to be the subject of TALK?????? Huh... no wonder our family didn't fit in.)
McKenna, I live/teach in one of those towns, too, although not quite as bad. Our summer school is HUGE, and while there are some remedial/catch up classes, there are also great opportunities that the kids wouldn't have during the regular school year.
Exactly... Honestly.. *I* want to sit in on some of them! And Each year the "POPULAR class" changes. I had it one year - Computer Applications - because all the kids loved being on the computer. I was replaced last year (in popularity) by "Think Tank" which was all about science and critical-thinking skills. Can't wait to hear whose the popular one THIS year. (Always trying to think - how can i tell the kids..we're taking a field trip to THAT classroom! )
Last year my school cut summer school....and of course this year they don't have it either. It is for kids who don't pass the state tests. I know they have some smaller version of it for 1st/ 2nd grade now, but they combine schools for it and it's very different. I haven't heard about it yet this year though, I'm not sure they'll have that program...our budget is very tight.
I ask for paper on my website, on report cards, and on al progress reports. Since August I've probably received 5 packs of paper. For some reason I have no support in the paper arena.
McKennaL, and Mrs. R., Okay, fess up, you two. Which of these is closest to you? 1) Naperville, IL 2) O'Hare airport 3) Winnetka, IL Having spent some of my high school years in Illinois in south suburban Chicago, I know how crazy some of those parents in the wealthier western and northern suburbs can get with regards to academic overachievement. I mean, if the neighbor's kid gets into Harvard, and if the best your child could do was "only" Duke, Northwestern, or Vanderbilt, then obviously you have failed miserably as a parent, right? Math-(Who's The Man! :thumb: )-Tim
Oh my... I didn't realize the Mrs. R is in Illinois too. hahaha We may have taught together. I confess... I'm north of Chicago. (Though not Winnetka)
My grandson, who loves soccer, told me they can't play soccer at school because they lost the ball. Well, we are going to buy one during Spring Break for the school. It is not much, but a soccer ball is a big thing to busy 8 year olds.
Me, too! I'm going to PM you. Are we in the same town? I've wondered by other things that you've posted.
