Posts by jadetinker85

rowdypanther12 said:In the US, I think it’s perfectly fine if a child gets a passing grade for just making a single crayon mark on a paper instead of completing the full assignment.
Of course, that’s assuming the student isn't following an individualized education program.

Maybe we're looking at a future modern artist. 😁

rowdypanther12 said:I'm not sure how they handle religion classes, but in my district, you lose points in art class—not for forgetting your supplies since everything stays at school, but for intentionally being lazy and totally missing the point of an assignment.

What part of the country are you in? Personally, I think kids are being crushed under too much pressure. We should probably look at the Finnish model and adjust our curriculum accordingly. Math is math, regardless of where you are. Most subjects follow the same logic.
Look, at this one elementary school near me, they spend the first period writing and the second painting, and half the time they don't even finish the project in a single hour. My niece goes there, and she says art and music are basically her worst subjects. Honestly, I have no idea what they're trying to achieve with these "creative" classes.

Jacob Lopez2 said:Look, the recent exam results are living proof that parents are only enrolling their kids in religion classes just to chase an A, rather than out of any actual faith.
I’m seriously starting to worry that every kid out there is just coasting through theology class solely to pad their GPA.

Generally, I’d turn all electives—and even a good chunk of the core curriculum in first grade—into play-based learning, similar to how they do it in Sweden. My little one actually likes religion class, though I think the students would get more out of it if there were more songs in the curriculum. Like this one: Kids would love having the chance to sing or even dance during class.
As for the grades, maybe I misheard something. I won't know for sure until I go to parent-teacher conferences.

My kid just got a B in religion class for his first grade report card. What exactly are they expecting from a six-year-old? Honestly, I might just pull him from the program after his First Communion and let them hand out Bs to whoever they want. Or maybe he just misunderstood the assignment...

Scott Cooper3 said:I’m not a parent, but I’ve been following this topic since my older niece found herself stuck choosing between Mass and—get this—an actual sports tournament. Not every weekend, mind you, just once.

It’s a total mystery to me how anyone managed to get to Communion before they started shoving religious education into the school curriculum. As far back as I can remember, one Sunday school class was plenty, and people showed up for that. Mass was more of an option—you went if the teachers actually made it interesting or gave you a reason to care. It wasn't some mandatory checkbox. People went because they wanted to be there.

From what I can see now, you need double the religious instruction plus compulsory Mass just to get anyone through the door.

It’s like we have to drag kids kicking and screaming to church these days, even though we’re all supposed to be "devout adults." Funny how "back then" nobody was forced, and everyone seemed perfectly happy to show up.🤷

My niece is stuck in a spot where she has to attend religious classes every Saturday and Sunday. The priest won't even consider the fact that her grandparents live out in the country and the family wants to visit them over the weekend.

Susan James said:From what I can tell, your first mention of this book was over on the pregnancy and newborn care thread.

(I don't see any merged threads here, but if you started this as a new topic, you should know we need a clearer, more specific opening post to define the discussion.)

Two days later, you were posting in the "gentle parenting" thread—which ties in perfectly—and it was great that you pointed parents toward that book (it really is a solid read).
Since you brought it up again, I've moved this under parenting literature, where you're encouraged to share experiences, advice, and those specific tips that actually worked for you. If a real, high-volume discussion starts brewing, we can spin it off into its own dedicated thread.
But as it stands now, there's no need for a separate one.

Got it. Thanks for clearing that up. 🙂

Michelle Robinson said:check back at your post from about two weeks ago. You mentioned that book there, and it sparked a brief little debate.

Exactly. I posted in that thread because someone had deleted my previous discussion about that book earlier that day, so I was just looking for another way to get the word out.
Broadly speaking, I think the book is vital. I wanted as many parents as possible to see it.
We live in a world where even plenty of adults haven't fully developed the brain functions that this book's methods aim to build in children. 😛

They aren't the same books. 🙂 Different authors entirely.

By the way, quick question: I can't seem to browse my own post history anymore, nor can I look through anyone else's. Did they just kill that feature, or what?

Just curious—does anyone know who nuked my thread on the Parenting forum today and what the deal was? It seems weird since there are plenty of other threads about parenting books all over this subforum.
Thanks. 🙂

Raymond Anderson4 said:What really worries me about the California process is the potential domino effect. If this gains momentum, other wealthy regions in different countries might start demanding their own independence too.
Why wouldn't somewhere like North Rhine in Germany follow suit?
Or even Lombardy in Italy?

In California, there’s a strong sense of regional identity driving this, which is the main factor. But regardless of that, the prospect of massive financial gain if they actually break away is enough to make anyone's eyes light up.

Please. They'll just squeeze the population through a few banks that refuse to fund small businesses, stage some terror attacks during peak tourist season, and suddenly, all that wealth in California will be...

cosmicheron22 said:I’ve got a quick question if someone can help me make sense of this. I just received a ruling and a conclusion from the Commercial Court in San Jose, so let me quote it for you:😛Judge X and Judge Y, in an enforcement case involving creditor X represented by attorney Y against me as the debtor, have decided: the seizure of movable property is suspended. That part makes sense, but here is what I’m struggling to wrap my head around:

The court's accounting department is ordered to pay the remaining balance of the deposited down payment to the creditor's checking account, following the reimbursement of all justified and unpaid travel expenses.
Then comes the reasoning:

Based on this court's ruling number X and Y dated June 1, 2001, a seizure was ordered via the sale of the debtor's seized movable property at a first public auction.
On May 15, 2015, the first public auction was held to sell my belongings, but it fell through because nobody showed up to bid (it was just some old TVs, honestly). The document goes on to say that within 15 days of the auction, no party requested a new auction date. Therefore, based on Section 142, Subsection 5 of the Enforcement Law Jurisdiction, it was decided as stated in the ruling.
So, does this mean the whole enforcement process is officially over, or is there more to the story? What’s the actual explanation here?

They're trying to seize an old TV from you? 🤔

Man, it's a good thing they didn't put your underwear up for auction too. 🙏

Amanda Miller69 said:Would it be smart for my father-in-law to get a flu shot, considering his underlying condition?
Since he needs an abdominal CT scan for his follow-up (roughly 2 months out), and I remembered there’s usually a waitlist for those, should I ask his primary care doctor for the referral now, or does he need a specific recommendation from the oncologist first?

He’s feeling better lately, so he actually thinks he can stop taking the beta-glucan, but I told him not to even think about it.😵

Kudos to you for looking out for him so closely.

Maria Fisher46 said:Plus, under the updated Medicare guidelines regarding pre-op testing, everything possible should be handled through a local community health center. I’m not sure what kind of "abdominal exam" we're talking about here. What does an "abdominal exam" even entail?

It feels like you might be writing from memory based on something you overheard or read, and there was probably just a breakdown in communication somewhere.

She had her abdominal ultrasound done at the Clinic, and she was also given extra referrals. The hospital demanded she get bloodwork at the local clinic, an EKG at the Heart Center on Drašković, markers over at Vinogradski, and her blood type determined at Petrov. My mom couldn't handle running all over town, so she took all the referrals to the Clinic and knocked out every single test in under an hour. Now the hospital is throwing a fit. 😠 Because heaven forbid a patient tries to consolidate their care in one place.
The results show atypical cells.

Angela Wright said:Biopsy or puncture? They did the puncture, right? Now you're just waiting on the results.

Btw, for your own peace of mind, most lumps turn out to be benign.

Yeah, we’re waiting on the biopsy results. Also, looking back at her medical records, everything clearly states she needs to get all her pre-op exams done. My mom’s doctor at the local clinic told her she wouldn't issue the referrals because there wasn't enough "justification" in the diagnosis yet, even though the records are perfectly clear.

Basically—she gave her some orders for an abdominal scan and blood work, but she’s insisting the scans happen at a local community health center, even though my mom could have handled everything in one go at the Mayo Clinic. 👎

Angela Wright said:I see what you mean now. I phrased it that way because she’s heading to see the specialist. 😁
Look, if the specialist still thinks a biopsy is necessary—regardless of how good the puncture results look—they are required to provide the referral based on their own clinical notes. If they refuse, you can just file a complaint with Medicare and let them handle the argument.
Nothing life-altering is going to happen in three days. Her condition isn't going to spiral overnight. Just hang tight until you get the actual results and hear what the doctor officially decides.

Got it. I'm not positive, but it looks like the medical records only list it as suspicious and suggest a puncture. 🤔 We'll see how things play out in Chicago...

Angela Wright said:Tell her to get it in writing—have her write down exactly why she won't issue the referral, then take that straight to Medicare and let's see what happens. It’s entirely possible they’re following some specific Medicare guideline they aren't allowed to break; for instance, they might need to wait for the puncture results before they can officially clear a biopsy referral. They have to have paperwork to justify it. There are so many nonsensical regulations that you really have to wonder who wrote them. You don't get the sense it was someone with a medical degree, just some mindless bureaucrat.
Look, there are doctors available; the real question is whether they have the capacity to transfer you, since they have patient quotas they can't exceed.

Otherwise, at the institute, a doctor might be able to write an internal referral for the procedure. That needs checking, because technically a biopsy is a diagnostic procedure. Another thing is how quickly they clear everything out. It’s possible the primary care physician will eventually need to write the referral for the exam and testing.

My mother is dealing with this, not me. She received a report from the surgeon stating the growth looks suspicious and requires a puncture, along with another document where they've circled all the tests needed before surgery—I can't recall them all offhand, but one is blood typing, plus a consultation with the anesthesiologist and so on. Would a photocopy of that suffice to justify the referrals? Unfortunately, the primary care doctors act like they just fell off a spaceship; apparently, they're audited every single week, so they seem terrified to write any kind of referral. 👎 How do you pressure a primary care doctor into writing all the necessary referrals, even if the biopsy turns out not to show malignancy, as sometimes happens? We should know the results in three days, though.

Angela Wright said:As far as I know, it’s possible, though I’m not sure which specific types—it likely depends on the type and grade of malignancy. For instance, if a puncture isn't performed correctly and spills into the surrounding tissue, it can contaminate the area with malignant cells if they're present. There are also tumors that become more aggressive and spread faster just by being touched. Glioblastoma cells, for example, behave that way and multiply exponentially.

This is awful. My mom had her biopsy today for a 2 cm lump in her breast. Her doctor at the Tumor Clinic told her all these lumps need to be removed and listed all the tests she needs to get done. However, our primary care physician refused to write any referrals except for the biopsy, and now she won't issue anything else until the results come back. Can anyone recommend a decent GP in Washington, D.C. who would actually provide the necessary referrals before surgery?

I'm wondering about something, though I'm not quite sure where to ask: can a biopsy actually trigger metastases?

David Palmer5 said:I don't know, just Google it yourself.🙂

I can't make sense of that one. Could you clarify what you meant? kaže:
That’s just too much. Competitive. Let’s say we assume that every country has the exact same percentage of talented kids. If that were true, then the only thing separating one nation from another would be how much they actually invest in those kids. It really comes down to whether a society builds a ladder for them to climb or just leaves them standing there. It seems like the Finns just aren't as driven to spend half their lives grinding away at math or whatever else it takes to get ahead. Because they don't push themselves that hard, their results tend to stay pretty average.
It’s widely recognized that Chinese students tend to dominate math competitions and standardized testing, but it makes you wonder: what does an education system like that actually look like in practice, and what kind of daily life does the average person lead under that kind of pressure?

I’m not quite sure what they mean by being "too competitive." I mean, if they’re sending people to a competition, you’d assume they’re picking the ones who actually have that competitive edge, not the ones who don't. It feels a bit like saying someone is "too good" at their job—it's a strange way to frame it. 😁First off, we're primarily focusing on sending out the ones that actually have enough capacity to get the job done.

Comparing ourselves to China or Korea just doesn't make sense when you look at the sheer scale of their populations. With those kinds of numbers, they can easily pluck ten geniuses out of a crowd and find them. To be honest, I don't know much about how their school systems work, or even Japan's for that matter. 🤷.

Since there’s a similar percentage of gifted or high-achieving kids everywhere you look, it feels a bit strange that students in a top-tier system like Finland's don't always see those massive, standout results on international assessments. If their entire educational framework is designed specifically to nurture and support young learners, how is it possible that even the brightest ones occasionally slip through the cracks?

I don't follow—are we talking about those little treats? If you're looking for something sweet and nostalgic, it's like finding that one specific candy from your childhood that just hits different. It’s all about those small, simple pleasures that remind you of being a kid. kaže:
A few years back, I came across this article that was trying to break down exactly why the Finnish model works so well. The real issue isn't just about policy or economics—it’s about our core values and the way we actually live our lives. Even here in the States, you see kids starting elementary school around age six or seven without necessarily being able to read yet. But when they come from families or communities that are absolutely obsessed with books, almost all of them are already reading fluently by that age. They’re constantly flipping through encyclopedias, asking a million questions, and hunting for answers. The curriculum in those lower grades tends to move pretty slowly, which works out well because they also have teaching assistants in the classrooms. This means the kids who might not have had that head start at home can get the extra support and motivation they need to catch up with their peers. And, yeah... The focus here is really on making sure the majority of students actually grasp the material, rather than just obsessively pushing the high achievers. The top-tier kids? They’ll find their own way regardless, leaning on their own drive or getting a little extra help from home when they need it.

I don't know, I'm not so sure about that. To me, it feels like a missed opportunity to just overlook our most capable people and leave them to fend for themselves. It seems only fair that we dedicate the same level of expertise, time, and energy to supporting them as we do to those with special needs.

It's like comparing a standard triathlon to an Ironman... maybe it’s a flawed comparison, but I’m just trying to point out the gap in how much training and sacrifice these athletes are willing to put in.
I don't think talented students are being overlooked; it's more that they aren't being pushed nearly as hard as kids in other countries.

David Palmer5 said:They push kids away from competition, then turn around and send them to international contests.😕

Of course, most kids fall into the average range, and curricula are generally built with them in mind. However, a truly top-tier school system (and the Finnish are famous for theirs) should cater to both ends of the bell curve: supporting those with learning challenges while also nurturing the gifted and high-performing students. Why should the exceptional ones have to figure everything out on their own? After all, isn't it the innovators and the high achievers who drive progress, rather than the status quo? Shouldn't a great educational system prioritize them? Is it actually possible that the Finnish model encourages mediocrity and stifles anyone who wants to stand out?!

Either way, I've noticed that when it comes to computer science and math competitions, Finnish students don't perform nearly as well (even though they dominate reading assessments), so I'm genuinely curious if anyone has an idea as to why that is.

too competitive. Let's assume every country has the same percentage of talented kids; it's just that the Fincher people clearly aren't motivated enough to spend half their lives grinding away at math or whatever, so their results stay mediocre.
The top tier in math is usually the Chinese, but look at what their school system does to the average person's quality of life.

it's weird; I've noticed that in CS and math competitions, students from Finland perform pretty poorly (even though they crush it on PISA tests), so I'm just wondering if anyone has a theory as to why.

PISA questions are easy... so easy it's actually shocking that such a high percentage of students can't manage them.