Classes for all students from first through eighth grade will be organized into four blocks: the first runs from September 3rd to October 26th (39 school days), the second from November 5th to December 21st (35 days), the third from January 14th to March 21st (49 days), and the fourth from March 25th to June 14th (52 school days).
Quincy:
They’re introducing a new block scheduling system for subjects. For example, fifth graders in the first and third terms will take geography, art, music, and computer science, but they won't have science, shop class, or history until the second and fourth terms. This approach actually lightens their workload by three or four subjects depending on the week.
I think it's time we started heading in that direction.
slyhawk18 said:If I didn't have something worth saying, I wouldn't be wasting my breath here. Like I said, we're talking about addiction, and the attempt to quit failed. When someone isn't motivated to stop, you start looking for the "why" behind it. I’m asking for advice, not just venting. I don't spend time on this site for no reason.🙂
No addict actually wants to get clean. As for Normabale, a buddy of mine in Germany was denied it because they flagged it as too addictive; instead, he was prescribed some liquid sedative for his anxiety.
wanderinggardener12 said:I spent quite a bit of time researching music schools here in Washington, D.C., trying to figure out the best path forward. In the end, I decided to enroll my daughter in an informal program—one where instrument lessons and music theory are integrated seamlessly, without the pressure of standardized exams or the need for official certificates. She’s been playing the piano for two years now, and honestly, she lives for every single lesson; there's zero stress involved, yet her progress is undeniable. I wouldn't trade this experience for any rigid, traditional curriculum. If it turns out she has a real gift for it, she can always sit for the formal exams later down the road.
That’s my plan too. It goes back to that idea of teaching a kid to actually play music rather than just stressing them out. I was at a local music school recently, and there were these intense exams going on—one parent was practically thanking Bob that their kid managed to pass. Honestly, with all the daily pressures kids face already, I can't justify adding this to the list.
brightheron64 said:Yesterday, my little one came home from school looking pretty downcast and a bit discouraged.
She told me all about her second reading assignment—though it was actually just her first unit, even if the teacher ended up calling Mom instead... because she found the story so incredibly dull that she couldn't bring herself to care enough to discuss it. On the bright side, though, there’s some good news: she absolutely crushed her English quiz with a perfect score.
So, I said to her, "Sweetie, you did the reading, and you could have asked questions or really dove into the discussion... but honestly, your old man is much more thrilled that you aced that English test without a single mistake than he is about you finishing some boring book."
Hmm... am I wrong here? Am I raising another Eric? 🤔
Nah, next time she finishes a book, just try talking about it. Even if it's just "I liked this part" or "this part sucked."
My kid dealt with erythema nodosum about four years ago. Back then, the doctors at the pediatrician's office didn't prescribe anything, so I just stuck to cabbage compresses at home and it cleared up. Well, wouldn't you know it, those red patches popped up again today, so we're headed to see the doctor. In the meantime, I applied more cabbage, and the spots aren't feeling hot anymore.
Kate Cox2 said:Oh, of course I am aware of that... precisely because I am a believer myself. I am a regular attendee at my local parish and I am intimately familiar with how the sacramental preparation classes are conducted there. To put it briefly: they take place on Sundays after Mass, and I find that perfectly acceptable since she receives all the other instruction during her school hours. Since we are already at Mass together every single Sunday, she understands the significance of it, and it won't come as a shock to her. I often hear children of my friends saying things like, "In third grade, we'll HAVE to go to Mass." Given that I am a person of faith and we attend Mass every Sunday without fail, such a statement speaks volumes to me about their upbringing. My child has been raised within the faith since birth; to her, this is entirely natural and normal. If it so happens that our pastor changes right when she is due for her sacraments, or if we do happen to be assigned some grumpy old man, I will simply find a more suitable arrangement for myself and my daughter. In any event, it is a great relief to me that we have religious education offered in our schools, and frankly, it suits ME just fine. And that is coming from me, someone who pays taxes just like those who find it so objectionable. Since religious studies is an elective rather than a mandatory requirement, I cannot see a better or more reasonable solution than this. Everyone wins. Those who want it can participate, and those who don't have no obligation. It is as simple as that.
As for the scheduling, goodness knows that sometimes things don't go according to plan, and I certainly understand that managing schedules is difficult... I truly do. But occasionally, a simpler approach just isn't feasible. That shouldn't be a reason for such immense drama... Our children will encounter a million more foolish, awkward, or unfair situations in their lives; this little hurdle certainly won't break them. Goodness, what am I supposed to do, sit here and wail over technicalities and the fact that my child MIGHT HAVE TO learn certain things? Honestly, I cannot think of anything more nonsensical in our entire educational system. Though, I suppose I could criticize it too—after all, they are the ones funded by our tax dollars to fill up these schedules. Unlike math or some other subject you might find tedious, you don't *have* to take religious studies. But there are those of us who want it, and surely our wishes deserve to be respected as well? Or is it only the grievances of those who feel slighted that actually matter??
Great. That’s how every parish in the country should be doing it.
Susan James said:Looking at what first graders actually do in art class, you don't really need "talent" yet. What they actually need are fine motor skills—which are the foundation for writing (and what gets tested during kindergarten enrollment)—along with things like focus, following directions, and staying on task.
In my opinion, everything in those early elementary grades should be graded descriptively. The thing is, even though teachers are supposed to include a brief comment alongside a grade, most don't bother. So, we're left with these letter grades that people then use to draw all sorts of random conclusions. It’s not the "C" itself that's the problem; it's how everyone interprets it.🙂
On a side note, I actually think it's healthy for kids in the lower grades to occasionally get a D or a C. Since those grades don't really serve any purpose other than for parents to brag on Facebook or for kids to collect As like they're Pokémon cards, it's a good chance for them to learn how to deal with failure. They can learn from not studying, not doing their homework, or struggling with a task. It helps them build work habits through their own mistakes now, rather than later when every single grade becomes high-stakes for high school admissions.
Could be. Maybe you have a point. Though, personally, I feel like learning to handle failure through sports might be a better way to go. I'm actually a little worried, though. My little guy really struggles with losing. He's been pushed to be number one since he was a toddler, and if things don't go his way, he tends to make quite a scene. 🙂
shadowcrane91 said:It’s not actually that small, haha... But whatever... it is what it is at this point. I pointed out that if they're basing the grade on rod dimensions alone, it doesn't seem particularly fair to me... She didn't even say anything back.
Personally, I feel like kids who get Cs in art class are basically being discouraged right out of the subject entirely. Grading things based on raw talent should probably just be switched over to descriptive feedback instead.
Our teacher was right on the verge of retirement, so I guess we just spent the whole time singing. Honestly, I always assumed that was just how things worked in every school district. 😁
Susan James said:Well, if you feel like the schedule is packed and the curriculum is too much, why enroll in those extra classes in the first place? 😕
So, what does it mean that social studies and electives are harder now? Do you honestly think the Religious Education program used to be easier? I wouldn't say so. Everything we study is classic, like the Bible (😬), and the content doesn't change just because a new administration takes office. The only thing that really shifts is whether you happen to get a professor who is more laid back or one who is more rigorous—which, let's face it, happens with any subject. It also comes down to how interested the student is. (Specifically regarding Religious Education, you have students whose parents live their faith and talk about the lessons at home, mixed in with parents who don't know much about it or simply don't discuss it with their kids. So, you end up with a classroom full of kids with totally different levels of background knowledge and interest 🤷)
Back when I was in school, Religious Education happened at church. In Art, we just drew; in Music, we just sang. Honestly, I think things were easier for us than they are for kids today. The only thing missing to complete the trifecta of misery is having to take written tests and oral exams in Physical Education. 🙄
I’m looking back at middle school again, and I don't recall being stuck in class for six hours every single day during 7th and 8th grade. Between core classes and electives, we were easily hitting seven or eight periods a day... right? Also, I have zero memory of ever being tested in music class back in elementary school. I'm not sure what their curriculum looks like, but all we ever did was sing. As for art, we never had those sessions where you write an essay one hour and paint the next, though I've heard some schools out there do that.
Sam Kim12 said:Back in my day, we used to see Cs and Ds for religion class grades—so what?
It’s just another elective, plain and simple. Grades go from 1 to 5—or an F to an A here—and that doesn't mean you're guaranteed an A every single time, even if a kid shows up, sits there, doesn't participate, or has absolutely no clue what's going on in class.....
In our local school district, it's pure nonsense that religion class is scheduled right in the middle of the day for the younger kids—the ones who don't take it end up stuck in the library. But the real headache is that the library isn't open every morning, so those kids are forced to wander the hallways because we don't have any extra classrooms to put them in. My kids actually have straight As in religion class, but let's be real—they earn them because we have a fantastic teacher. BUT, if this same subject were scheduled as the very first or very last period of the day, I would pull them out immediately—they'd just be teaching useless trivia that half the class wouldn't grasp anyway.
Personally, I thought religion class was a wonderful subject, even though I didn't grow up in one of those families that heads to church every single Sunday (it was usually just my grandparents, and even then, only occasionally). We learned through play—everything from basic prayers to the core concepts of the Old and New Testaments—but it all felt organic and lovely through engaging storytelling. We were constantly making crafts for the school, the church, or the local monastery. We even made cards for kids in nursing homes and shelters etc....
Are you saying the subject is too demanding? Personally, I think kids in the upper grades are just overloaded. Just look at the exam schedules—once finals hit, it feels like there's a test every three days. Even electives and social studies classes have become way more intense than they used to be.
rowdypanther12 said:Did you log in using your own credentials or his? Use your own. When you use yours, there's a delay before the grades show up, but if you use his, they pop up instantly. If he got a 4 yesterday, it probably just hasn't updated in the system yet.
Using his. But my husband mentioned we only got that result because of absences. Who knows how things work at their school district. 😁
So, I just logged into the student portal for the first time, and it’s a total ghost town. Literally nothing. No grades, no teacher comments, no course list... just blank space.
Robert Rodriguez9 said:Sorry if I misread you, but your post makes it sound like a 4 means the kid is struggling and needs extra help—basically, anything less than an A isn't good enough. 🤔
Just my two cents: sometimes the grading scale feels a bit fuzzy. When it’s something tangible like reading levels, math scores, or how they handle their gear in shop class, everyone gets it. But there are certain subjects where the grades just don't seem to mean much at all.
James Alvarez2 said:Do you guys actually go to church? Does she attend Mass?
First Communion matters way more than just confession itself. Actually, I'm wondering... do you react to all those Fs the same way you did to this one from Sunday school?
I go, though not to my local parish. My mother-in-law used to, but she's too old now. My husband doesn't go. So far, there aren't any other bad grades besides the B in English. I think... regarding the other subjects, my husband and I can help him out if he starts hitting roadblocks.
Robert Rodriguez9 said:I know a kid who got a C in religion class back in first grade about ten years ago. If I remember right, it was just because he hadn't memorized his prayers or something like that.
My husband refused to take religion classes when he was little because they told him he’d be forced to learn things there. His mother said she felt terrible about it, but there wasn't much she could do.