Parent teacher conference yesterday

We had our only formal parent teacher conference for the year yesterday (yep we get 1 at the beginning of the year). Alexis did great on her DIBELS testing, which is wonderful since she has started each year with a poor performance. DIBELS is our state testing for K-3 that they take 4 times a year and they have to make a minimum amount to pass the school year. She was already reading where she has to be by the 3rd round of testing. She is having a lot of focusing issues in class though. I thought it might be her hearing again so I finally took her for her ENT follow up she was supposed to go to in July (oops), but her hearing tested just fine (YEA!) Her teacher has to continually tell her to focus on her work, or she will spend all day in lala land.

I found out several very discouraging things about school. The bus riders get in at 730 but class doesn't officially start until 800 (i knew this), but I didn't realize there is "pre class" work that they are supposed to be doing. They are supposed to do something called "mountain math",write in their journal, do a handwriting worksheet, and do something else i can't remember. All of this is supposed to be done by 815. Her teacher says it only takes most kids 20min to get everything done. DD hasn't ever finished her math work much less anything else. I think she gets discouraged on her math work (her weakest subject) and shuts down instead of trying it and moving on. She has to get the math done or at least attempted before moving on because they go over it in their math period together. I don't know how to get this work done in the morning since I can't be there standing over her shoulder. I also found out that these young kids get NO RECESS! Yep you read that right these kids have no time to run and burn off energy. They get PE everyday, but even that is structured play. I had a recess until high school! I understand that school have had to become more academically focused, but it is at the expense of childhood! Any other schools out there have no recess period?

 

Jenn, we don't have a mandatory recess either. It is left up to the teachers, and more often than not, they do not get it! I agree with you, that especially in the lower grades, they need that outlet. Our teachers claim it's the pressure of getting everything in, and achieving the desired results on those standardized test scores that are making recess non-existent, which I do understand(but don't always agree with!), but good grief, they are kids!

As far as her morning work. Do you think it's because there is so much distraction in the morning, with everyone coming in, getting unpacked? I am sure there is a lot of chatter, and maybe she can't handle it? I wonder, if her teacher would allow you to have the next morning's math page sent home the night before? That way it would be out of the way and she could concentrate on doing the other morning work?

 

We only really have one formal conference here too Jenn. We get one in Oct. and then in March only those students who are behavior issues or not meeting standards get one then.

The recess thing would bother me. We only get PE 2x/week here, but they have 20 min. of recess everyday. All children should have recess everyday. Is that a county policy or just your school?

I am surprised that they have bus riders arrive so early at your school, early meaning, 30 min. before school starts. No student can get in our schools until 8:30 am and school starts at 9am. Bus riders arrive anywhere from 8:30-9, usually 8:45-9, but there are many buses.

Our state also does DIBELS, I think it is in it's third year here. That is good that she is doing well on that. I would just ask if a teacher can help remind your daughter to stay focused on her work in the morning. Although I feel that is asking a lot of the students to do "pre-class" work.

Is there anyway you could maybe drive her to school so she would not get there so early? Do all students do pre-class work or just the bus riders because they arrive so early? I can certainly see them giving them some kind of busy work, but that is a lot it seems.

I am curious what the teachers are saying about her trouble focusing in class? Do they give you any kind of suggestions or let you know what they are doing in class to help her with this?

 

QUOTE(becky5 @ Sep 14 2007, 01:05 PM) [snapback]407908[/snapback]
Jenn, we don't have a mandatory recess either. It is left up to the teachers, and more often than not, they do not get it! I agree with you, that especially in the lower grades, they need that outlet. Our teachers claim it's the pressure of getting everything in, and achieving the desired results on those standardized test scores that are making recess non-existent, which I do understand(but don't always agree with!), but good grief, they are kids!

As far as her morning work. Do you think it's because there is so much distraction in the morning, with everyone coming in, getting unpacked? I am sure there is a lot of chatter, and maybe she can't handle it? I wonder, if her teacher would allow you to have the next morning's math page sent home the night before? That way it would be out of the way and she could concentrate on doing the other morning work?


Glad to know we aren't the only school out there that has decided to cut recess. I really hate standardized testing. I think I am going to give DD some practice at home getting things done on a schedule and see if she can't learn to manage time a little better. If that doesn't work, I will try to get her to bring home the Mountain Math worksheet as homework the day before. I would just hate to have to tack on one more thing she has to do after she gets home from school.

 

QUOTE(summerfun @ Sep 14 2007, 01:09 PM) [snapback]407917[/snapback]
We only really have one formal conference here too Jenn. We get one in Oct. and then in March only those students who are behavior issues or not meeting standards get one then.

The recess thing would bother me. We only get PE 2x/week here, but they have 20 min. of recess everyday. All children should have recess everyday. Is that a county policy or just your school?

I am surprised that they have bus riders arrive so early at your school, early meaning, 30 min. before school starts. No student can get in our schools until 8:30 am and school starts at 9am. Bus riders arrive anywhere from 8:30-9, usually 8:45-9, but there are many buses.

Our state also does DIBELS, I think it is in it's third year here. That is good that she is doing well on that. I would just ask if a teacher can help remind your daughter to stay focused on her work in the morning. Although I feel that is asking a lot of the students to do "pre-class" work.

Is there anyway you could maybe drive her to school so she would not get there so early? Do all students do pre-class work or just the bus riders because they arrive so early? I can certainly see them giving them some kind of busy work, but that is a lot it seems.

I am curious what the teachers are saying about her trouble focusing in class? Do they give you any kind of suggestions or let you know what they are doing in class to help her with this?


Our buses pick up for the school system so all the k-3 students, intermediate school, jr high, and HS are all on the same bus. They drop the k-3 kids off first and pick them up first at the end of the day. All of the kids are supposed to be doing this work by 815. The teacher insist that it can be done by most students in 15-20 minutes, she just isn't doing it. Unfortunately it is on her and the teacher to keep her on task at school, there isn't much I can do from here. I told the teacher to constantly remind her to get to work, but that is going to get old fast I am sure. Unfortunately she is young in her class (May baby) and I think the attention issue might have something to do with maturity not being there. DD was having a talking in class issue so she was moved as of today. It kinda bugged me that her teacher hadn't moved her when she first told me about it and I told her to get her away from the girl she sat next too. The girl is the only one that is in her class that was in 1st grade with her, and she has a very peppy attitude so she talks a lot. DD is naturally very shy and she kept telling me it was the other girl talking (they were both caught talking to each other). Hopefully the talking issue will stop with her move.

 

QUOTE
I would just hate to have to tack on one more thing she has to do after she gets home from school.


I hear you! Maybe she could do 1/2 the night before and 1/2 in the morning before she leaves?

 

QUOTE(becky5 @ Sep 14 2007, 02:05 PM) [snapback]407908[/snapback]
Jenn, we don't have a mandatory recess either. It is left up to the teachers, and more often than not, they do not get it! I agree with you, that especially in the lower grades, they need that outlet. Our teachers claim it's the pressure of getting everything in, and achieving the desired results on those standardized test scores that are making recess non-existent, which I do understand(but don't always agree with!), but good grief, they are kids!

As far as her morning work. Do you think it's because there is so much distraction in the morning, with everyone coming in, getting unpacked? I am sure there is a lot of chatter, and maybe she can't handle it? I wonder, if her teacher would allow you to have the next morning's math page sent home the night before? That way it would be out of the way and she could concentrate on doing the other morning work?


Haven't you heard? There is no time to be kids in school anymore. It's really sad. Before becoming a SAHM I was teaching kindergarten for the NYC dept of education and I tell you it's just so sad what they expect these kids to be doing. I mean the fact is, they can really do a lot more than we used to give kids this age credit for but at what expense is it? The facts suggest that even kids who start out "advanced" in Kindergarten usually tend to level out with the other kids by 3rd grade but then many of them don't seem to have social skills because they are trying to cram so much work work work into these kids that there is little to no time for things like recess or center time which are essential times that we work on skills such as sharing, playing nicely, being careful, feelings etc. (One school that I know of in my district took centers completely away from their K classes...CAN YOU IMAGINE???!!?) It's just so sad that our kids aren't allowed to just be kids anymore. At my school, they even took rest time away and then last year (I wasn't there anymore), they took snack time away which was a nice 10 minutes to just let the kids unwind and socialize with each other. It was so cute to listen to their little conversations about stuff that didn't have to do with school. I used to feel like all day I was saying shhh shhh shhh. Those poor darlings were just bursting out of their seems to talk. That's what they do at this age for goodness sake but there was just too much that we were required by our principal and district to get done in a day. It is utterly rediculous.

 

You all need to move here. We have MANDITORY recess for 1-3--K is only 1/2 day, so they get recess on days they don't have Centers or another special. 4th and 5th grade have a study time instead of recess, which allows them to get extra help when needed.

 

Wow, and I thought it was odd that Ally only got 2 recesses a day. We used to get 3 when I was in school....of course that was about 100 years ago, lol. I don't know how they expect kids that young to be able to sit and learn all day, I just don't think they have it in them. They must be busting by the time they get home.