Posts by rowdycrane3

Hey everyone, does anyone know if you can still see specialists at Saint Catherine using an insurance referral (specifically looking for a pediatric orthopedist), and if so, what’s the current wait time like?
If that's not an option, does anyone happen to know how much a private consultation would run me?

Carol Anderson8 said:Alright, so I’ve basically scrolled through almost every single page in this thread, so now I’m throwing my own question into the ring to see how everyone would handle a specific situation. I’d love to hear all perspectives—especially from any professors or teachers hanging out on this forum.

Here’s the deal: my kid is in 6th grade. She isn't some straight-A genius, but she’s holding steady with solid Bs. At the start of school, she had a massive struggle with focus and concentration, but thank God, that’s actually improved over the years.
I’m not some drill sergeant pushing for perfect grades or anything like that. All I want is for her to give it her best shot. She’s killing it in certain subjects—like history and geography—but then she hits a wall with others, specifically math and English.
But here’s the kicker—as we all know, when it comes to getting into any high school, the grades that actually count for admissions are English, math, and that third core subject, and those are exactly the areas where she’s struggling the most. (And just to be clear: I'm not talking about some elite prep academy, just any decent high school, like a medical vocational program which is what she actually wants to do).

When she’s doing math at home, she works totally independently. She gets the concepts—she can connect the dots and follow the logic. But man, she makes these ridiculous, "facepalm" mistakes. Like, she’ll write a minus sign instead of a plus, or completely forget a set of parentheses. And obviously, the whole answer ends up being wrong because of it. If I point out a slip-up—like, "Hey, check if you copied that right"—she catches it immediately and solves it perfectly.
But on actual tests? It’s the same stupid mistakes every single time. It kills me because she’s sitting there with a D in math even though she genuinely understands the material and knows how to apply it. It’s not lack of knowledge; it’s just pure, unadulterated sloppiness. I’m wondering if anyone has any ideas on how I can help her get past this?

On top of that, she’s got a D in English. She just doesn't have a handle on grammar or literature, which are the absolute foundations for a good grade. She pulls As and Bs in spelling, reading assignments, and essays, but when it comes to the final grade, none of that matters if the grammar and lit components are a mess. It’s gotten to the point where I’m literally re-learning grammar myself just so I can explain things to her. I know the American English curriculum is packed, but honestly, one sentence in a notebook under the heading "personal pronoun" that says, "She asked him about the problem," isn't nearly enough for a kid to grasp how pronouns actually work.
Does anyone have advice on how to tackle this with her? Where can I find decent practice materials?
I’ve found a ton of worksheets online, but unfortunately, none of them come with an answer key, so I’m stuck having to study the material myself, solve everything, and then try to teach it to her.

Is anyone else dealing with something similar?

Hi there! 🙂
It sounds like your girl is still dealing with some issues regarding focus and attention; it’s probably just manifesting differently than it did in the lower grades.
From what you've described, she's clearly bright and intelligent, and it’s wonderful that she actually understands the logic behind the work rather than just memorizing facts. Because of that, I think you can definitely tackle this problem by working together with her.
Try to make sure she does her homework or studies only after she’s had a chance to properly decompress from school—eat something, recharge her batteries. After spending several hours in a classroom, most kids' concentration levels hit zero, especially those who already struggle with it. Since she’s able to spot her own mistakes once you point them out, try to build a habit where, after finishing a problem, she double-checks that she copied everything correctly and solved it right. Basically, let her be her own editor—have her check herself two or three times if she needs to—and only then bring the work to you for review. She should apply this same rule to tests. Kids often get caught up in a race to see who can turn their test in first, and that's why they rush and make those mindless errors. If the other kids in her class have developed this habit, try explaining to her that it’s not about speed, it’s about accuracy, and her teacher isn't going to give extra credit to whoever finishes first...

Maybe try some focus exercises to sharpen things up. You might find this useful:
http://www.lumosity.com/

Regarding the English language, honestly, your professor would probably give you the best guidance. But if you can't track them down online, maybe just try setting some practice problems for yourself based on the examples in your textbook... it might help to see how they're structured.

I really hope this helps a bit. If you feel like it, give what I suggested a shot and let me know how it goes 🙂
Good luck!

Oh, and you probably already know this, but just in case—high school admissions are now looking at your overall GPA from all four years...

This topic is honestly such an interesting one to dive into 🙂
I’ve been scrolling through the last few pages, and I just have to say how much I admire those parents who are incredibly attentive to their kids—the ones who worry about every tiny detail. But at the end of the day, you're entrusting your child to a teacher for a huge chunk of their day, most of the year. You really should be able to trust them, especially since you're handing over your most precious person. That said, you have to remember that at home, you're dealing with just one or two kids, and sometimes you're at a loss for what to do with them—but they're yours, after all. You brought them into this world, you raised them, you know them inside out. Now, try putting yourself in the shoes of a teacher who's looking after 20 or 30 kids who aren't hers, children she met when they were already seven years old and had already been shaped by their own families. She isn't just responsible for their academics; she's responsible for absolutely everything that happens to any of those kids while they're at school. For instance, if a kid bumps their head at school, the first thing a parent asks is, "Where was the teacher? Why wasn't she watching?" It isn't really about her whereabouts or what she was doing; it's more that we all know it only takes a split second for something to happen, but in these moments, people just want to find someone to blame. I mean, is she supposed to hold every single child's hand? She only has two hands...
I still remember a story from my own school days where a kid split his head open during class. Everything was peaceful and quiet. You could barely hear a fly buzzing. Then, suddenly, total chaos. We all turned around, and there was this little boy lying on the floor, blood gushing from a cut on his head. What happened? He was rocking back and forth in his chair, fell, and hit the corner of a desk. Who's to blame? The teacher, because she didn't remind them not to rock in their chairs? Yeah, a thousand times over...
On top of that, with all those students, she also has twice as many parents she has to report everything to. And hey, that's just part of the job. So, why does she insist that a child eats their lunch? There are plenty of reasons for it.
Because the parents are paying for it (and it's definitely not cheap).
Because the kid might not feel hungry right that second, but they will be in an hour, and they still have several hours of school left without any food.
Because you'll have one parent coming in yelling at the teacher for forcing the kid to eat, and then another parent asking why they *didn't* eat... and it just goes on forever.

What's the point? Your child is your entire world (and they should be), but at school, all the kids are equal, and things don't just revolve around your specific child.
There's a reason rules exist in a school setting.

Oh, and just to be clear, this whole post is talking about teachers who actually do their jobs conscientiously and honorably.
There are certainly others who don't do their jobs at all—honestly, I sometimes wonder what they're even doing in a school building—but that's a different conversation entirely...

fadedfalcon5 said:Does anyone know where I can pick up some plain white cookie boxes without getting absolutely ripped off? I'm looking for wholesale-style prices, but I only need about 20 of them because I'm planning on decorating them all myself. Any leads on somewhere affordable?

Have you checked eBay yet? It’ll probably be way more affordable than what we can find locally here in the States...

Hey everyone, I see this forum is still "alive," which really warms my heart. Honestly, this community was such a huge help to me about three and a half years ago when I went in for my surgery. So, if anyone out there has questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I truly know how you feel...
Keeping my fingers crossed for all of you to have wonderful recoveries 😉