Musings from the first day of school in a small town

[swamp]

My kids started school in the public school today, their private school closed. They went from a school of 50 kids total to about 800 total. It's the same elementary school I went to.

The parents are really young. And my, they have a lot of tats.

I went to school with all these teachers, I can't believe they give some of them a teaching license.  The thought of others teaching my kids is very comforting.  My kids got the teachers I like.

Oh, my kids are in class with the kids I was law guardian for or represented their parents in criminal court, or have seen them in criminal court doing the perp walk. Please, please, please, don't ask me for a play date at their house.

Mrs. G., you really need to retire, you were my 5th grade teacher, and I'm 44. I think you were my sister's too, and she's 52.

But, I'm overall happy with the school. I think the teachers are really caring and energetic, and teach because they really love kids.

[ArchietheDragon]

Did you take a first day pic with their newly tattooed friends?

[yogiii]

No archie, the parents are tated up, so they are swamp's new mommy friends!

[swamp]

Sept 4, 2014 8:43:49 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Did you take a first day pic with their newly tattooed friends?

I am a total loser!!!! I forgot to take the first day pics.

There is one 8 year old boy in DS's class with a long ponytail, shaved sides of his head and earrings. He is on DS's soccer team, and the dad is the coach, and heavily tatted. Mom is a former stripper.  He's a nice kid. I think dad is kind of a douche, but mom is really nice and a great parent. DS can go over there anytime.

[NancysSummerSip]

Sept 4, 2014 8:47:44 GMT -5 swamp said:

Sept 4, 2014 8:43:49 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Did you take a first day pic with their newly tattooed friends?

I am a total loser!!!! I forgot to take the first day pics.

There is one 8 year old boy in DS's class with a long ponytail, shaved sides of his head and earrings. He is on DS's soccer team, and the dad is the coach, and heavily tatted. Mom is a former stripper.  He's a nice kid. I think dad is kind of a douche, but mom is really nice and a great parent. DS can go over there anytime.

I'm picturing a pole in the kids' playroom, for some reason, but that's just me.

[Deleted]

Sept 4, 2014 8:47:44 GMT -5 swamp said:

I am a total loser!!!! I forgot to take the first day pics.

Take them on day two...or three.  It's not like they're going to look any different.  Unless day two they have a new tat.  LOL 

[michelyn8]

My 4th grade teacher taught my two oldest 6th grade math.  Granted she was in like her 2nd or 3rd year of teaching when she taught me and I was 17 when I had DS and 21 and when I had DD1 so she she was still youngish at that point.  Also, my steno teacher in 11th grade (84-85) taught my mother in HS in the early 50's.  

When DD2 moved in with her Dad and transfered to my old HS most of the administration and a few teachers were either people who were teachers when I was in school or people I went to school with.  Fortunately, the ones I went to school with that were now teachers at least were the some of the better students from my class. 

[Chocolate Lover]

My oldest DS has my former English teacher from my senior year. She's been crazy since my sister went through her class 6 years later. Seriously, she used to call my sister at home and ask why the other kids didn't like her.    There was a Spanish teacher I wish I had experienced. My classmates told me that she'd lock herself in the closet during class. Oh well, I got the pothead French teacher instead. Thinking back, it's a wonder I learned anything.

[Abby Normal]

I have a friend who teaches 4th grade in our small town.  She'll tell stories about her kids and frustrations with the parents, and never mention any names.  But you can usually guess who they are.


But now that my kid is older- I use it to my advantage.  If he likes a girl or is starting a new friendship- I ask my friend so I know if I should encourage it or not.  

[Deleted]

One of the teachers at school was complaining that his daughter's kindergarten teacher was 64 or 65!  She had been teaching more than 40 years.

This is what society wants.  Full SS isn't until you are 66.  You are rewarded if you make it until 70 without starting it.

Teachers don't have a career path unless they pursue administration.  So the teacher who started at 21 or 22 may easily be teaching in the same classroom 40 years later.

It is startling to you guys, but don't blame the teachers.    It is what it is.

[Wisconsin Beth]

My DD's 1st grade teacher seems, um, cranky.  In 2 days, she's mentioned (verbally and in notes home to the entire class) about no sugary stuff because of obesity issues and how important it is to MOVE during recess so the kids can focus during class.  Oh and she totally and completely slammed the K4-K5 teaching program IN HER OWN SCHOOL.  On paper.  And sent it to all the parents.  -faint-And she used to teach in K5 at this school. 

I told DH that I don't think I'm going to bond with this one.  And that's ok, I don't need to bond with the teachers as long as DD is learning and still enjoying school. 

[Chocolate Lover]

Sept 4, 2014 14:10:03 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

My DD's 1st grade teacher seems, um, cranky.  In 2 days, she's mentioned (verbally and in notes home to the entire class) about no sugary stuff because of obesity issues and how important it is to MOVE during recess so the kids can focus during class.  Oh and she totally and completely slammed the K4-K5 teaching program IN HER OWN SCHOOL.  On paper.  And sent it to all the parents.  -faint-And she used to teach in K5 at this school. 

I told DH that I don't think I'm going to bond with this one.  And that's ok, I don't need to bond with the teachers as long as DD is learning and still enjoying school. 

As long as your fist doesn't bond with her nose at some point this year, you'll be fine.

[swamp]

Sept 4, 2014 14:00:54 GMT -5 @southernsusana said:

One of the teachers at school was complaining that his daughter's kindergarten teacher was 64 or 65!  She had been teaching more than 40 years.

This is what society wants.  Full SS isn't until you are 66.  You are rewarded if you make it until 70 without starting it.

Teachers don't have a career path unless they pursue administration.  So the teacher who started at 21 or 22 may easily be teaching in the same classroom 40 years later.

It is startling to you guys, but don't blame the teachers.    It is what it is.

She's tier 1 NYS retirement. She's making the same working as she would retired. It's DH 's aunt. She just loves what she does.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

There was a Spanish teacher I wish I had experienced. My classmates told me that she'd lock herself in the closet during class

We had a junior/senior English teacher that was involuntarily committed. She came back the following year. She got hauled off again after she stood in front of her class and licked the chalkboard for the entire period.

[Deleted]

My older son moved up to the "middle school" area, so he has a new teacher (actually 3 of them!)  He's been at this school for 9 years and has only had 3 teachers all that time since it's mixed age classes, so this is a big change for him.  It's a really cool class, everything is in one room, but there are separate areas, the computer area, science lab, reading/relaxing area, etc.  They are divided up into three groups of 11 students and rotate around between there and the specialist stuff (gym, band, art).

Younger son has the same teacher as last year and probably the same one he'll have next year for Kindy.  I think she's great though and Eli was going to profess his love to her today, so obviously he's pretty fond of her as well. 

[milee]

Sept 4, 2014 8:41:08 GMT -5 swamp said:

Oh, my kids are in class with the kids I was law guardian for or represented their parents in criminal court, or have seen them in criminal court doing the perp walk. Please, please, please, don't ask me for a play date at their house.

You do realize that these are bound to be your kids' new BFFs, right?

My younger son became best friends with a sweet girl "Jasmine" in a summer camp and begged me to schedule a play date.  I could never catch the mom/dad, though, so I asked the camp director (a friend) if he'd help me figure out how to contact the family.  He paused for a very long time and finally explained that Jasmine's mom was in jail for dealing meth.  Jasmine was living with her uncle, who also had the reputation of being a major meth dealer in town. 

I think it's awful when kids pay the price for the bad actions of their family, but decided that this wasn't a good situation and passed on the play date.

Let me know how the play dates with your kids' new BFF goes, OK? 

[Blonde Granny]

I'm 70 years old and my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Pilster died about 6 weeks ago. She was 97.  She & her husband had no children.

After her husband died in 2002, Pilster decided to donate the family’s Pilster Ranch near Whitney, Nebraska — worth about $932,000 — to the Mari Sandoz Society for educational programs at Chadron State College.

[Deleted]

My 7th grade home ec teacher just died this week and I was shocked to see she was only 62!  It just goes to show that when you're a kid everyone seems "old".  It's been 33 years since I took that class, so she could have only been 29!!!  I saw her picture in the paper for the obit and she really didn't seem a lot older than I remembered her. 

[swamp]

DS reports to me that the new school is better than the old school because there isn't any praying

[Cookies Galore]

Sept 4, 2014 16:39:53 GMT -5 swamp said:

DS reports to me that the new school is better than the old school because there isn't any praying

Definitely a plus!

[NoNamePerson]

It's a good thing my son didn't have to go to school in my hometown. The fact that he was my son would have been held against him from the get go. A few of my former teachers would have been hanging garlic and such on the doors if they thought they were going to have to deal with my offspring...    

[teen persuasion]

Sept 4, 2014 8:41:08 GMT -5 swamp said:

My kids started school in the public school today, their private school closed. They went from a school of 50 kids total to about 800 total. It's the same elementary school I went to.

The parents are really young. And my, they have a lot of tats.

This is how  I feel every time I go to the ES.  Who are all these families I've never seen before, and what happened to all the families I've been running into since DD1 started kindergarten.  Oh, right, that was 1995, pre Great Reconfiguration of the CSD.

Oh, the schedule madness at the HS!  The advisement office handles it, and it gets worse every year, so they have resorted to telling the kids there will be NO changes allowed, period.  And then, of course they can't, because the schedules are so mucked up.  Apparently all of the special one-off classes are scheduled for third period, or at least it seems like it.  DS4 spent the spring convincing a tech teacher to waive a pre-req and let him in a tech class he wanted (advisement insisted the class was overfilled).  He got the class, but it was third period, bumping him out of orchestra.  Gotta have all four years in orchestra to earn music honors, so tech had to go.  Plus, the tech teacher left for another district and his replacement hadn't gotten approval yet, and the "overfilled class" had 6, er 5 students after DS switched to orchestra.  W/o the tech class, DS could pick up another class, so he asked about Spanish 4 - nope, also third period.  His Intro to AP ENG section had  only 4 students (after the teacher threw out anyone who didn't do the summer work); I'm sure she wants to combine it with the section with 20 kids, but it is also - you guessed it - third period!

 DS didn't have any problems getting band this year, but the band did lose a number of players to schedule impossibilities.  The director was trying to bring back some students he lost last year by changing periods.  Advisement neglected to tell him that the new period meant he would lose three times as many to something else.  Too late to switch back!

Speculation is swirling about what this year's musical will be - Pit director has been pushing for something to take advantage of strong jazz instrument players in the band for several years.  Word is that the musical powers-that-be have finally caved.  Too bad those players either graduated or are forced out of band by schedule problems!

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

My 16yo refuses to let me take a first day of school picture. Today was day #2. I'm sad. 

[chiver78]

Sept 4, 2014 14:00:54 GMT -5 @southernsusana said:

One of the teachers at school was complaining that his daughter's kindergarten teacher was 64 or 65!  She had been teaching more than 40 years.

mine had to be, too. it seemed like way older to me at the time, but I was 5.  

she's the reason I'm a "saved" lefty and she also told my parents that I was never going to have any friends because all I ever wanted to do at recess was read. I had no interest in playing with the other kids.    I think I did okay, tyvm......oh, and the town forced her to retire after my class. apparently my mom wasn't the only one complaining about her.

[Nazgul Girl]

Sept 4, 2014 14:18:28 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

There was a Spanish teacher I wish I had experienced. My classmates told me that she'd lock herself in the closet during class

We had a junior/senior English teacher that was involuntarily committed. She came back the following year. She got hauled off again after she stood in front of her class and licked the chalkboard for the entire period.

  Holy Damn !    I had a couple of strange teachers back when, but no one like that.   My favorite was Mrs. R., who would go on about how lecherous men would look at the young girls on The Lawrence Welk Show.   She said that she and her husband just loved the show.

  We thought that was all pretty funny.    

[Nazgul Girl]

Sept 4, 2014 16:39:53 GMT -5 swamp said:

DS reports to me that the new school is better than the old school because there isn't any praying

[steff]

Sept 4, 2014 14:18:28 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

There was a Spanish teacher I wish I had experienced. My classmates told me that she'd lock herself in the closet during class

We had a junior/senior English teacher that was involuntarily committed. She came back the following year. She got hauled off again after she stood in front of her class and licked the chalkboard for the entire period.

My Senior year Gov't teacher was literally hauled away during class.  She was having a REALLY rough couple of months with family deaths & deaths of 2 students in our class.  We were watching the Shuttle blast off (1986...teacher on board) in class & when it blew up, she pulled out a Bible, climbed on top of her desk & began reading it out loud. 

we never saw her again....

[Apple]

Sept 4, 2014 21:56:23 GMT -5 Nazgul Girl said:

Sept 4, 2014 14:18:28 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

There was a Spanish teacher I wish I had experienced. My classmates told me that she'd lock herself in the closet during class

We had a junior/senior English teacher that was involuntarily committed. She came back the following year. She got hauled off again after she stood in front of her class and licked the chalkboard for the entire period.

  Holy Damn !    I had a couple of strange teachers back when, but no one like that.   My favorite was Mrs. R., who would go on about how lecherous men would look at the young girls on The Lawrence Welk Show.   She said that she and her husband just loved the show.

  We thought that was all pretty funny.    

Off topic, but you just made me remember my Grampa   Not that he was a lecherous old man, just that they had a HUGE tv, but they only turned on for one show--Lawrence Welk.  Outside of that, tv was not allowed on.

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

My Senior year Gov't teacher was literally hauled away during class. She was having a REALLY rough couple of months with family deaths & deaths of 2 students in our class. We were watching the Shuttle blast off (1986...teacher on board) in class & when it blew up, she pulled out a Bible, climbed on top of her desk & began reading it out loud.

Wasn't that Christa McAuliffe, if I remember correctly?

[steff]

Sept 4, 2014 22:58:47 GMT -5 ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ said:

My Senior year Gov't teacher was literally hauled away during class. She was having a REALLY rough couple of months with family deaths & deaths of 2 students in our class. We were watching the Shuttle blast off (1986...teacher on board) in class & when it blew up, she pulled out a Bible, climbed on top of her desk & began reading it out loud.

Wasn't that Christa McAuliffe, if I remember correctly?

yes it was.   From what I remember, LOTS of schools around the country were watching it live.