Mother of the year -- not.

[Gabby]

Tuesday is the first day of school. It's been three months of happy, no-structure days for Tommy and Charlie. I don't make them do extra summer math packets or read mounds of books. We take it easy.

But -- all good things come to an end. Since it's rainy and yucky today, I decided to pack up their gear for next week. When I recovered Tommy's backpack from the back of the mudroom closet, I discovered that I had never looked in it when it came home in June.

I found a very large folder of "must do's" for the summer (from the NEW teacher!). OOPS! In addition, I found the remains of a snack that must have been packed for the last day of school -- at least he'll have a science project.

Now, the question is whether to race around like a maniac for two days trying to do a summer's worth of reading and math, or figure no one else will have it either!

[frawniemae]

I had to laugh because "been there and done that"!! But I would look through it and see where he needs the most review. Math facts are a must (but I know you know that) and vocabulary is pretty high on that same list. Sight words and grammar. Just pick where he might have had trouble last year. IF it's something totally new for this year, my guess is the teacher will going over that pretty thoroughly the next week or two. Not knowing what exactly is in the packet, that's the best advice I can give. With the weather being what it is, a good time playing school just might be the ticket. Good luck!!

[An-g_BB]

ohh NO! :bonk:
Gabby thats really a burden- a whole summer of homework!!! man oh man.

my boys come home with those every yr- but its optional reading! they EARN a free pass to a rollerskating party that isA) always held on a school night, and B) at that- about an hours drive away (time wise, mile wise- is only perhaps 25 miles southeast) so we dont do it. - was the summer packet for credit? or.... for peer prize, type effect... lol.

[Mouse9]

I agree with An-g_BB. I usually send home work for the summer as an optional thing.

It does make we wonder about her motives. And I guess I should clarify why.

I send home work with the students that I feel may not have the money to go to a book store and pick up (buy) a summer school work. These would be old worksheets that were extras and could be redone by the students to simply review different areas we worked on.

In my final school letter I recommend different stuff, like computer programs (that names escape me at this moment) like "Getting ready for 2nd grade" , workbooks either for the year they just left - so it would be easy for them, or for the next grade so they are still challenged and I work a little more with them, so they are usually a little ahead of the other kids. I recommend a 10 to 20 minute slot each M-F with none on the weekends (like during the school year.) And, of course, reading as much as you can persuade them to do.

Usually the computer programs or so much fun the children find out any short cuts to get to the fun games part. The girls really like having the extra stuff to do and usually play "school" with their friends or siblings. The boys..... I don't know. I should probably ask a few of them and find out if they did any type of school work during the summer. Probably not. My son wouldn't if I didn't make it a priority.

The first part of every lesson in math are review of what they should've learned the previous year before going into the current grades objective level.

I would think that Tommy will do well no matter what just because of all you do with him and Charlie.

:)It's not like Tommy was in the closet for 3 months.:) (That would be a bad mom!!!)

[Gabby]

Good advice, guys.

It's probably more optional than it looked. We're just laughing it off.

Really -- the moldy snack was much worse! :eek:

[Gabby]

I've been digging through the stuff and found a cd of 300 pictures from the school year.

These were 2 of them...

[Fuel]

Great photo of you and Tommy! :)

[Virgo6]

Gabby, you are so pretty and your son is adorable. Love the snake photo, I have always wanted to do that. Held a baby Liger (Cross between a lion and a tiger) once and that was incredible.

[Kramer]

Amazing how big Tommy is. The time sure does fly by!

[Virgo6]

So Gabby, what happened with Tommy on his first day back to school?
Did he get any of the summer homework done? How was his teacher? Did other children complete the assignment?

[Gabby]

I never heard "boo" about it. Guess no one else's mom can read either! ;)

Great first week. He's very happy. He also got selected to a good soccer team and he's very happy about that. His coach calls himself Coach Shrek. He's a very large Scottsman.

[Virgo6]

Great! Maybe the teacher even forgot she gave out the assignment.
Hope things keep going well.

[Mouse9]

I'm glad to hear about both items, that Tommy liked his new teacher and that he got a great coach too.

Also, very few teachers really know what others do for their last letter of the school year. If any teacher gives extra stuff, it is because they want to and not usually required. When I was teaching in New Mexico they encouraged a summer computer game program that I think was called "Clue Finders- ___Grade" and that grade was usually the grade they were going into.

But, by that time in the school year every one is so tired of school stuff that getting out is what most of us think of.