Sunday, August 28, 2011

Starting The 3rd Week

I didn't realize it had been quite so long since I've written on here. It's hard to believe but the third week of school starts tomorrow. So far it is going pretty well. There has been only one bad day with regard to schoolwork and one bad lunch day since it got straightened out after the first one.

He really likes his teachers and his classes. He's broken-hearted because Friday was the last day for the teacher who was filling in for humanities. He really liked her a lot. He is hoping that the new teacher misses some time during the school year because she said that she would be the substitute if the new teacher ever missed. I hope he likes the new teacher too. His guitar teacher is still his favorite though. I think it has a lot to do with the superhero ties that he wears. He wasn't too sure how well he was going to like media arts but he likes it quite a bit. He's paired with an 8th-grader and they do their activities together. He was impressed when the boy let him use the camera--the BIG camera--by himself. He has figured out that there is no reason to be afraid of the 7th and 8th graders. He is so funny. He said to me, "Mom, some of those 8th-graders look like real people." I told him he was a real person too and he said, "No, you don't understand. One of the 8th graders in my media arts class has a MUSTACHE." He's too funny.

He hasn't had too much homework yet. Mostly he's just had a little bit of math. He also had one classroom assignment from science that he had to re-do--that was the bad day with regard to schoolwork. This weekend he had to take notes on Hurricane Irene for science class tomorrow. I've been reminding him to do it and he kept putting it off and telling me he would do it tonight. After the third time I told him he needed to do it before it got too late I told him that I wasn't reminding him again and left it at that. When John came outside after his shower he asked me if I had told Sean to do his homework. I told him I wasn't telling him again and he said I wouldn't have to because he was sprawled on the floor doing it. I'm not sure what inspired him but I'm glad it did. Now I just need to get him to write his name on it. Would somebody please tell me why it is so difficult to get him to sign his name to his schoolwork? My guess is that the first time Teacher throws his work away for not having a name and he gets a zero he'll get the clue that it's not that hard to do.

Funny story: The other day I asked Sean something about media arts and I started out, "What did Teacher say about......" He interrupted me and said, "She doesn't like to be called Teacher. She told us not to call her that." I laughed and he asked me why. I told him that she better get used to being called Miss then if she doesn't like being called Teacher. He burst into laughter and asked me how I knew because that was what most of the kids were calling her now. He forgot that I worked at the elementary school across the street for a year and a bit so I was quite used to being called Miss by some of those very same kids.

On a happy note, he is starting to make a few friends. He has one friend from guitar class that he eats lunch with and goes out to the playground with every day and there are a couple of the boys in his core classes that he talks with sometimes. They are all in the same academy even though they don't all have the same electives. I don't know if they will remain in blue academy all the way through 8th grade or how that works though.

Oh, and Open House is this Thursday. Blue academy is the latest one but that's okay. John is off on Thursdays now so we don't have to take the bus or miss it. I'm looking forward to it because we will get to see some of their schoolwork and we will also get to see the auditorium.

I'm glad to know that all of my friends in the path of Hurricane Irene seem to have come through safely. I would also like to add that they can feel free to send any extra rain our way as we are officially in a drought since we only got a little over 2 inches of rain during monsoon this year instead of the 4+ that we're supposed to get.

Not much else going on in our corner of the world. I hope all is well in everyone else's corner.

9 comments:

Karen said...

So jealous that you have a school to send yours to. No school tomorrow, even though it was supposed to be the first day (thank you Irene) and no word when school will open. Depends on the state of the roads and power outages in town. We shall see...
Glad it is going so well, though. Sounds like he is really settling in with friends and teachers. Would love to send you some rain, just wish I knew how.
Pretty funny, this morning just as Josh proclaimed that he "fears not this storm," there was a loud crack which made us both jump and Neil come in from the other room to see what happened. We didn't know it at the time but it was a pretty small tree across the way uprooting and coming down. No idea how it made such a loud noise! Josh then said, "I guess it heard me!" I made him move away from the window at that point.
We are in the minority...we have power, so all is good. Have a good week!

Wilma said...

I'm glad to hear that you have power and that it was only a small tree so it didn't fall on your house. How is Katie doing with all this uncertainty about weather and school? No anxiety, I hope.

MsCaroline said...

Glad things are going so well so far. Love that you stopped reminding him and let him take the responsibility...that will go a long way towards getting him truly prepared for high school and it looks like he stepped up! Well done, Mom!
Had to laugh about the 'teacher' thing. I never got that when I taught middle/high school in Kentucky (if anything, it was 'Ma'am'- southerners, y'know) but I got called 'Miss' about 90% of the time in my TX high school...so true!
Here's hoping for a wet Fall and Winter - the lawn at our house in TX must be dead by now for sure!

Wilma said...

Thank you for the compliment. I figure if he doesn't do it then it's on his head if he gets a zero. I can't be chasing him around for every assignment. :( It's a funny thing about the Teacher/Miss deal. You would think she would know because she is from Yuma and she taught at Pueblo High for four years. I guess she's just ever-hopeful but I got news for her--it ain't a'gonna happen.

Karen said...

The "Teacher" thing is mystifying to me. No one around her would call the teacher "Teacher" or "Miss" without the last name attached. All teachers are called "Mrs., Mr. or Miss Whoever" with no exceptions that I know of. I'm off to work today...wish I had a day to pull things together after the storm and help my parents to do the same. Mom is bringing food for the freezer today and we will have to rake and clean up their yard on the weekend. Large tree that came down will require a pro. Have a good week!

Wilma said...

It is a regional/ethnic thing. In Spanish they call the teachers Maestro/Maestra and when they translate into English they do the same thing. That being said, it is also an old thing from the one-room schools as well. My father always said Teacher rather than my teacher's names when he was referring to them--and they were his co-workers. LOL As far as Miss, I guess that must be regional/ethnic as well. In Spanish they don't attach the family name they just say Senor/Senora/Senorita and in English the same. Again, with that being said, it is also common in Ireland from what I understand. So.....there you have it. Wilma's (somewhat bizarre) explanation of Teacher/Miss. Oh, and should I mention that you have a choice of Mrs. Fidler or Miss Karen when/if Sean ever meets you? *grin*

Karen said...

Probably go with Mrs. Fidler since that is what the kids friends call me. I have been Miss Karen in some classrooms that I have taught in.
Realized that I didn't answer the question about Katie. She is fine, no anxiety about the weather at all. In fact, she is maintaining a nice status quo level of anxiety...a little higher than average perhaps but a long way from abnormal. I always have to remind myself that increased anxiety for her is not situational but a physical reaction to infection. Neil went to doc tonight for strep, tested negative but got antibiotics anyway because doc was suspicious. I'm glad of that but will be watching Katie closely for a few weeks.
Off to do some work!

Wilma said...

Glad to hear that Katie is doing well. Sorry about Neil and the possible strep. No snuggling with Katie 'til his antibiotics are done!! Sean's friends called me Sean's Mom until the second half of 4th grade and then they switched to Mrs. Mack. He calls Lawrence's mom Mrs. L---- and L calls me Mrs. Mack. On the other hand, my friend Laureena's boys call us Mr. John and Miss Wilma and Sean calls her Miss Laureena. Just depends. I was called Miss Wilma when I worked at the school. I disliked it intensely. Not because I don't like being called that but because it was one more thing that made our class different. No other students in the schools called their teachers by first names except in our class. Well, the few who could even say our names. LOL Anyway, that's my take on it. I'm assuming you use Mrs. Fidler in your class now?

Karen said...

Good question! I have a whole new class this year and several who are verbal. Last year I only had one verbal student. She just called me Karen so will go with that. Don't really like the Miss Karen thing either. Feels weird. Even the kids who are verbal here will have trouble with just one name so will happily skip the "Miss." Just found out 81-100% of people in my town are powerless as of 8PM last night. Guess I know now why no school! No word yet but I have decided to stop stressing and plan on Tuesday morning after Labor Day. Anything else will be gravy! Off to work!