My Daughter's kinder teacher found out that she had breast cancer. Instead of installing a teacher for her class the rest of the year, they just had numerous substitutes take over her class. She had 6 subs for the rest of the year. When we got her last report card, she did very well, but still had numerous s's. I feel that even though she might have had some issues, he biggest issue was not having an appropriate teacher for the remainder of the school year. I am truely sympathetic for her teacher, but come on.

I also had this problem with my son this year. (must be a boy thing) We also had an understanding teacher and worked with us on a rewards program for the days he paid attention. I do hope all this work pays off in 1st grade.

Their challenges consist of not allowing enough time to study for tests.

In first grade my daughter's biggest challenge was a child who insisted on being her friend that she had nothing in common with. His "in your face" approach, lack of friendship making skills and stubborn resistance to her telling him "No, I don't want to play" resulted in him physically yanking on her, yelling in her face and other friends stepping in to defend her. I let the teacher and Director know about it and they did their best to oversee the situation when they were present.
I was aware that the parents had been called in for discussions about conflicts their son had with other students. I just became more physically present at the school and he got the message that she was not to be messed with. We were happy to see the school year end and hope that there will be a shift in classmates for the next year.
However, I am trying to help her build skills for handling such situations as there always seems to be one person like that in every group.

There was a little girl that kept crying into the school year w/my daughter in K. Her mom/teacher were perplexed about it..(I was room mom/teacher was new to the school so she would chat w/me-how I knew lol). The school nurse suggested that she bring her "lovey" with her to school..so mom sewed a patch on it w/her name in case she misplaced it, all the teachers/staff knew also and after a little while she stopped crying. She just needed a little extra security along w/time to adjust to the new "idea". also, the school has no PreK and K is all day so it was a huge change for a lot of kids..

If a child is still crying at being left at school well into the school year, the question in my mind would be, what is happening at school to distress him? While I sincerely hope there's nothing but his own insecurity causing this, since he is little, after all... well, I'd look for a possible external cause.

My daughter attended school for the first time, pre-k. She loved it. She did experience some regression in drawing. She loves to draw, but saw that the other kids drawings were very messy, so she would do it messy as well. She's better now.

If your child cryes its ok. Give him a hug asd a kiss and tell him you love him and going to be ok. Maybe the teacher needs to try enteract with him or maybe when he sees kids playing then he will be fine.One other thing you can do is play with him and the other kids for a couple of minutes and then sneek out whwn he is not looking.The ice will be broke before you know it.

I think her biggest challenges (she's in 5th grade) have been social pressures/friend drama and continued struggles with organization. This semester she's forgotten to bring assignments home, forgotten to turn them in (even in-class assignments), forgotten books... just really struggled. She has a packing list on her desk, and it usually helps, but not so much in the past few months. Anxiety and middle-school looming may be a factor.

Socially, she's gone through such a difficult time, losing a best friend (and the group of girls associated with that best friend) and then being ignored by another group she thought were her friends. In part, I think a change in medication was a mistake, and it really seemed to change her personality in a negative way.

Hi ProudMommy04,

It does seem strange that your son hasn't acclimated or even embraced his independence from you. I'm sure you've asked your son why he feels this way, it would help if you shared that with us so that we would be able to answer your question more effectively. Does the teacher have any input on why he may be distressed at relying on himself?

MY SON IS HAVING TROUBLE WITH LEAVING OUR SIDE HE IS IN KINDER ABOUT TO GO TO FRIST GRADE AND STILL CRYS WHEN WE LEAVE HIM AT SCHOOL WE'VE TRIED EVERYTHING!!! WHAT CAN WE DO????

My child told me that he was jumped on the play ground and when he got back to class, he tryed to tell his teacher ,his teacher gave him marks for talking.

Well my daughter do her homework and then do not turn it in. She has these friends she be with i guess they do not do there homework so she do not turn hers in. But guess what the teacher and i got together and now who do there work and turn it in you are right. My daughter like to be in everything and so you can't if your class work is not on point there will be no activities.

Oaklandmom, I hear you. I have never met so many mean kids and ignorant adults. Here in the south they really put emphasis on good manners, but the kids only display them when their parents around.

As for the schools, I have experienced clueless and gullible administrators as well as teachers. These mean kids manipulate them to no end. They empower the bullies. If you try to broach the subject, the staff make you an outcast as well. I have given up and just take it, there are no options. It is far from a democracy.

My daughter has had trouble transitioning between 4th and 5th grade. They send the kids to a Intermeadiate school for 5th/6th and then on to a Middle school etc. From K to 4th they pretty much walked the kids through everything like their work, to/from class, to lunch/recess etc. Then this year they just "dropped the ball" so to speak and make them do everything on their own..like they were in Jr.High. I think that's great except there was no transitioning them slowing into this. My daughter is having trouble with it. She is so stuck in her ways of doing things and change comes slowly. She isn't the only one tho so I'm at a loss as to why they can't make the students transition easier?? Don't they see/realize it's MAJOR different? I've talked to her teachers about it and they seem to understand they just dont really "do" anything about it...

klinden,

My son has struggled since the beginning of his life I suspect with being a chatter box. He is doing a lot better this year but we've discovered that he is developing somewhat slower emotionally and socially than his peers. So, he's in first grade but he's still in kindergarten mentally, so to speak. We have him in social/behavioral therapy which has helped but it's still slow going! Although, he is smart, sensitive, and a wonderful person it's still really tough to deal with his being in the hot seat at school so frequently.

I'm so glad your eldest child is doing much better! You may want to check out the Learning and Attention Difficulties group. They may have some ideas on how to help your six year old blossom in her new environment.

You know I have heard alot about boys being quite talkative in school. I wonder if there is a study out there showing that. It just seems as though all that I know that have boys say things such as that. I do know that friends who have had boys that were talkative ended up over coming it and being top notch students and highly successful in their lives.

Thank you so much for the quick reply! My older daughter has done better than I thought she would considering she is in middle school and we all know how tough kids of that age can be on each other! She has found some friends which helps alot! The other thing that helped her is that she attends a military school which as you said really does help having kids that are going through the same as her. My youngest daughter is the one that has issues. She is six years old and wonder if that is why. It seems as though she regressed. I talked with her teacher the other day and she said that at first she was stuck to the teacher like glue but has noticed that she is starting to go out on her own now. I also wonder if the teachers sometime forgets that she has a learning disability and needs more time for things. They hold her up to the same standards as kids with no disabilities. I did feel better talking with her teacher though. Hearing that the teacher thinks she is progressing now is good to hear!

Kliden,

Welcome to GreatSchools!

Thank you for joining Elementary School Parents group. Have you talked to the school's counselor to help your children adjust to the culture shock of coming to an American school? Sometimes just having someone to talk to can help significantly, especially for your older child. Perhaps, you could find out if there are other "military" children in the school that your daughters could meet up with to just have someone to connect to about their situations.

Keep us posted.

My daughter had to change schools in Jan '09. My husband is active duty Army so not only did my daughter have to change in the middle of the school year but also had to adjust from Germany school system to American school system.

DWOOD1,

I agree with you, the teacher and the school should be taking steps to protect your son and insure a comfortable and safe learning environment. They are basically giving your son's mental health the brush off and if that makes me feel angry I can only imagine how that might make you feel. Do they have a zero tolerance bully policy in place? Have you contacted the superintendent about the school's lack of concern considering your son? I think those two things would be my first stop on the way to a new school.

As for your son's grandfather and uncle, let them know that their interference in your parenting is not acceptable. That getting into a physical altercation is not going to solve problems for your son, it's likely to create more for him and possibly you. I suggest you thank them for their concern but that isn't how you want your son to solve his differences with others, because as an adult that viewpoint (ask questions later) could land him behind bars.

Keep us posted.

My son is being teased and taunted at school. It's mostly just one little boy. My son has gained some weight over the past year. He's alittle chubby, so is the boy that teases him about it. But my son gets really sensitive about it because others laugh at this kids antics towards him. The teacher is no help she realy doesnt seem to have control over her classroom and because she is one of the head teachers and the office staff is limited right now she is out of the classroom alot. The Principle says to her understanding the two children bother each other, but the teacher admits that my son is now on defense, but he should just ignore this other little boy. They dont understand how hard it is for me to tell him not to get into arguments just ignore and his uncles and grandfather are telling him he has to stand up for himself. I'm just trying to live out the rest of this school year and find a more disciplined school environment for him. This is school yard stuff. He should be able to stand up for himself on the school yard, but this is a small school, no schoo yard. Everything happens in the classroom or lunchroom.

sbozarth23
I am still trying to find out, I volunteered at class and everything seems to be pretty good. My son does not seem to participate and seems uninterested. He is a bubbly and talkative kid at home, makes me sad to see him like that at school. Teacher says he has always been shy and reserved at school.
Michelle
He does not seem to have friends...but I don't think he is being bullied.

mommy2003, Maybe,he is being bullied? For it to happen so quickly it makes you wonder. I hope not! Something to consider.

Hi sbozarth23,thank you for your advice I was treating to take some advices because sometimes I don't know how to help my son.I'm going to talk with the teacher so she can help me with any test for my son,because I'm thinkig too so my son is having learning difficultes.

mommy2003,

I'm curious, has your son explained why he suddenly doesn't like school? Did something happen that created this fear?

mamachela,

First, let me say thanks for posting in Elementary School Parents! I wanted to recommend you check out the Learning and Attention Difficulties group. They may be able to help answer your questions or give you some awesome advice.

montreseg,

Have you made any progress with your diversity program that you could share here? Are there any other parents getting involved?

My son is in grade2 and he's having big troubles with the school,first was the math class the teacher constantly send me notes because she's struggling with him too,he forget all the class of the last week and the next week we need to help him how to do the homework again,first was math class,now are reading and social studies,he's having scores very low.The last year he was doing very well aand he learned very fast to read and writte and now he's doing very bad.I would like change the things,I'm talking with him all time,helping him with the school work,but don't help.He's new in this school,in the last school he was 2 very well years,doing great,and he was in the ESL program to help him with the language because we speak spanish,but in this school they don't have ESL program and he was put with the regular class with 18 more kids,he understand the teacher and all the classes,sometimes I think is a memory issue or distraction.

My son has all of a sudden developed a fear of school. He used to really enjoy school and now its a struggle sending him to school. Me and my husband are worried sick. I talked to his teacher and counsellor and they have really cooperated but things arent improving still. Please advise

My 2nd grader is in a private school and he has been challenged by the lack of diversity which has impacted his ability to make friends. We chose the school b/c of the small class sizes and the focus on the individual child. The faculty has been great but the parents and students aren't as welcoming. I am currently involved in the school and spend a fair amt of time there helping them to develop a diversity program that defines diversity in ways greater than race. There has been incremental progress on my sons part since i am there so frequently.
~ mgs1016

Our presence helps them in more ways than i originally would have thought.

I am a single military mom of 3. Being a military mom means not a lot of stability for the kids, but in a fragile, unstable economy it means security. My kids have transferred to 3 different schools in the past year. We moved to a new area over the summer, so they started a new school last fall. Then due to issues with the school I ended up pulling them out and sending them to private school. Since being in private school, my middle child (2nd grade) seems to have problems adjusting to the course load, and is now acting out because of it. Not to mention still adjusting to my recent divorce from their father. It's been a rough year for everyone, but her behavior is really starting to concern me.

The funny thing about that minister, is that he is in law enforcement.I never really even considered telling anyone.I was ashamed of him & was so embarrassed that I haven't told anyone but my husband.I was afraid everyone might agree.Alot of women my age or older believe "women are to be seen & not heard"."A womans place is in the home.(I of course, do not believe that)I'm very liberal.Now I have to raise 3 kids(2 of my kids are girls) here & try to overcome all this. Thanks,Taginsc

That is amazing, I didn't know that people still went on about "northerners and southerners." Is there anyway you can report that minister for his sexist remarks? I am going to Google it but I'm sure he can't get away with those statements.

I suggest that you and your family try to surround yourself with positive people. Hopefully, there are plenty of open minded people in your community that you could bond with and help you find a church home.

Hi Sbozarth23
Not alot of "color" involved.(some of it has to do with color though)The majority of it is because we are from the "North".We all have been openly called names.My daughter went to a church where the congregation spewed "no woman could live without a man" women were not equal to men & then they spewed about the "black" president.I was so outraged, my daughter never went back.I cannot believe in this day & age, I have to raise my children with this. Thanks, taginsc

Hi taginsc,

What sort of prejudices are your children facing? I am curious because there may be some groups on this website you may be interested in joining. My son (6) has also faced a lot of prejudice in his school being that it is a largely Hispanic school. We are pulling him out at the end of this year and enrolling him in a private school in connection with our church. We hope that he can grow and have more positive experiences in a school that is more ethnically balanced, along with much smaller class sizes.

All my children have dealt with alot of prejudice. I really cannot believe the things my children have had to endure.We moved from the north to the south awhile ago & it's been quite a roller coaster ride.It's really sad.There is so many things they don't understand.And face things,I as an adult,have never faced.And I am left to mend their hurt little feelings.

My son was a little shy when he first started school. He was entering the first grade. Mainly because we had moved and also it was a more diverse group of students. He is getting along well now. He;s been playing sports so he's meeting other students.

I attended a small K-8 grade school in a small town in Kansas listed now as one of the Great Schools. Since I was from a large family that was poor I went through a lot of bullying and what I thought was uncaring teachers. I am a Child Care Director today in a low income inner city and know I will never allow a child to endure what I once did. I did have a wonderful 1st grade teacher named Mrs. Hiner who inspired me to become an educator and continue my education. I have a B.A. Degree in Elem Ed and an M.A. Degree.
You as a parent have the right to expect the best for your child.

Long homework hours, bullying, teasing, fighting, inconsistent standards of discipline, favortism, ostracism, educational neglect, inconsistent policies, double-standards, incopetent administrators, unhappy teachers, MEAN KIDS, lack of motivation, sub-standard playground area, crowded classrooms, lack of educational resources. And this is a school that I pay for..

That is a lot of work for a 3rd grader. My girls when they were in third grade they only get an hours worth of homework a night plus their 20 to 30 minutes of reading. It takes one of my daughters longer but she has ADD and epilepsy though.

my son is in the 3rd gr. in public school. it's seems to me the new standards in learning are much harder than when i was in 3rd grade. in math, he's learning pre-algebra and fractions and he's struggling. on average it takes him about 1.5 hours per night to do his homework (not just math) but, for example, yesterday he came home with 2 worksheets in language, 2 worksheets in math, plus he had to read an 8 page story in his reading book and then answer questions at the end of the chapter. i can tell that he's frustrated and my fear is that by the time he reaches middle school, he's going to burn out!

We had an outbreak of shigellas where I work a couple of years ago. It should be required by state law to contact the Health Dept as this is a communicable disease. Many times it is contracted from swimming pools and fountains. I would recommend contacting the Health Dept about your concerns.

My son has struggled with talking too much too and using the time to socialize rather than learn. His attention is challenging as well. He's so smart; i'm just having a hard time helping him constantly apply himself.

My son has been dealing with bulling from other students and also his teacher if you can call her that. I have been dealing with these problems since the year started and he is not wanting to go to school and he is in 2nd grade. I am not really sure what to do, but maybe pull him out and take him some where esle. Have gone to the prin. twice this year already.

Our school had the shigella from the children not washing their hands well after pottying and this ususally affects only the k-1 grades. But with everything being shared in elem., my 5th grader had it for like 2 months and still after 3 months has had the hives and breaking out from it. In schools there is always something floating from one to the other. If mom's were more considerate and kept their kids home when sick, the other children would not be out so much. I know that alot of mom's have to work but it does not help the situation with them going ahead and sending the kids to school so that they don't have to call in sick. It is better if the school calls them and they have to leave work it seems. The kids will tell us that the mom gave them tylenol and sent them on or made them come to school anyway. The health dept. did not inform our schools of the outbreak of shigella until weeks after it had started. It doen't take a rocket scientist to know that k-1 use the library, gym, cafeteria along WITH the older children. This went around our school for several months too.

My son is in 2nd grade this year. He has had some minor social issues, as I guess most kids do. Friends one day, enemies the next, but seems to be doing ok with that. Also, his handwriting has been a problem. He does really well with everything else, but his writing is struggling. Lastly-has anyone else been battling these crazy colds & stomach bugs all winter?

Hidden Hills El. Unfortunately, leadership is lacking at this school. Personal experience with the leadership and staff was extremely unprofessional. A small school like this one doesn't afford much choice when the leadership and staff aren't meeting your child's need. And the principal is doing very little to help the children with disabilies. The staff seems to be just 'biding their time,' while they waste the precious time of the students they are trained professionally to serve and inspire. I would not recommend this school.

What school does your child go to???

My son has disabilities and Hidden Hills school is getting funding but gives my son no service. We just started this school and my son has always had services since he was 3 years old on an IEP. How can schools keep the money and not previde services for the disabled???

My 4th grader has faced two big challenges this year: 1. anxiety, which he is working with a therapist and improving. 2. Not completing work in school, although by the end of the first semester he had improved. After winter break he had a wonderful week and then the second week back both the anxiety and work habits flared back up. Hopefully this time around both issues will resolve faster than they did at the beginning of the year.

Hi bgardner,

I saw your question in the general questions section. Here's what I found courtesy of Google.

www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/what_is_gs/brownie.asp

(social connections) Starting in a brand new school, for the second time in one year. Very sweet, bright girl who would like new friends to bond with. Subjects in school are going very well Looking for contact info to enroll her in Brownies...

My child was diagnosed with a learning defict this year, she struggles in Math, but she was also being bullied. The kid was removed from the school and my daughter is on the Honor Roll again. I can't say the learning defict was the problem, I think it was all the bullying.
She still struggles with the handwritting. It has improved, but the teacher I guess is expecting 2nd graders to write like adults. You can read her writing, I personally think for a 2nd grader it is really nice handwritting.

You could also try letting him take short breaks every time he reaches the end of a page. Have him stand up and walk around or stretch that way he doesn't feel like he is stuck sitting for so long.

Also, have you tried asking him to write about something interests him? Maybe he likes old cars, or a certain sports player, have him write about that and see if it sparks his interest.

I will try that. I never thought of having her do any activity. I have tried to make them do book reports to make sure they were actually reading the story but then my youngest ( the advid reader) started reciting the story by heart. I will try this to see if this works as well.

Alfonso,
One thing you might want to try and do is give your child small writing assignments when he isn't in school. Is spanish his primary language because if so have it write out a story in spanish first then translate it into English. Just a suggestion.

My child challenge is writing. I would like him to write more, but he gets tired. He's in the fourth grade. I had to put him back one year . I only have one child. He also speaks spanish which I really don't know if it helps. I really want him to write more in school. I hope someone understands me........

As a certified teacher of 20 years with a specialty in ADD, ADHD, and ODD, I would suggest you allow your daughter to read one book and then find activities she can do that pertain to that book. Children love doing mobiles, collages, writing their own short stories based off a favorite book, or writing a new ending to the story to share as well as illustration. I hope this helps. Let me know.

She is currently ready 3 grade levels above her own, so she reads the newspaper with me at night. I have started scheduling her "reading time" and turning all of her activities around reading, it works for her!

Hi Motherof4girls,

I am always pleased to hear about an enthusiastic reader and your daughter certainly sounds like one! Have you tried instead of banning books, explaining to your daughter why certain activities like learning and exercise have to come before books sometimes? Another approach you might take since she enjoys reading so much is the combination of more knowledge equipping her with better comprehension. Enabling her to read at a higher level might get her attention!

txmom46,

It's tough to watch our children struggle with going to a new school, on top of culture shock. A group you might want to consider joining is Racism in Our Schools-community.greatschools.net/groups/29826 They could use another voice like yours to help their group grow. There are many members who could empathize with you and your childrens situation.

I have one daughter who my husband and I have to literally "ban" books from her. She reads during class, she reads at recess, she reads literally everywhere and does not get anything done with out have to force her to put the book away. I don't know why she is withdrawing so much all of sudden. She does have ADD and epilepsy, as well as some other medical conditions but it has never bothered her until now.

this is not an easy thing to go at. maybe you should talk to the school counselor about this and see if they can give you some input or other ways to handle it. because the child should be the one they think of first not them self. they should put the child's shoes on and walk in them for a week or two. if the father and the teacher are not seeing what you are then maybe the counselor will. they can be very helpful at times.

my boys recently have moved from an all white school to a very mixed race. and besides the talking issues we are working on the race issues. i am not a predigest person and have tried to instill this in my children but sometimes it is very hard to deal with when others are not. i think that is my biggest hurdles of all so far.

your welcome sbozarth23.and I'm glad those boys were disciplined.i hope the bullying will stop one day.its so sad to see our children endure this abuse,and that it keeps going on.i pray that one day this will change for the sake of our children and theirs.

My daughter is going through a very confusing time in 2nd grade. She is 8 and loves her school and her teacher. Her father, we just discovered, is in a relationship with her teacher and my daughter's school experience has changed. She is now anxious, quiet, and doesn't want to rock the boat. I want her to feel comfortable at school, but she will have this teacher for 6 more years. The school has not been helpful, but thinks I'm making a big deal out of this. To me, it is huge. My daughter's alliances to her father and her teacher are confusing now. She is not free to express herself to her teacher or her friends as she was in the past. I can no longer discuss the teacher with her father without getting yelled at. It is all too much for an 8 year old. Her father will never stay with this woman.

alfonso,

Have you had your son tested for any learning disabilities? You may want to check out these groups :

Learning and Attention difficulties-community.greatschools.net/groups/11554

Help With Reading-community.greatschools.net/groups/11555

Homework Help for Parents-community.greatschools.net/groups/11549

debrasuefitzge,

Thank you for your concern, the boys were disciplined appropriately for bullying my son. I can't believe that your daughter got her hair cut off, I would have been furious! It's good to see the principal did something about it but, equally sad it cost four girls their beautiful hair first.

i remember when my middle child was in preschool there was a bully that picked on her everyday and he even went as far as cutting her braids in her hair off.i think now a days it starts as early as preschool and kindergarten.the principal at my daughters preschool then,he removed the boy from the school.later i found out he had did this to 3 other girls.the bullying needs to stop for our kids sake and their self esteem and the emotional damage it does to our kids.I'm sorry to hear that your 6 year old is being bullied,i hope the boys got in trouble for picking at your son.let me know how things go,keep me posted.

My son (1st grade) is also dealing with bullies this year. He has had altercations with a group of five boys twice, one being last Friday. I never imagined that a six year old would be dealing with bullying so soon! I always thought that if that even started at all it would not be until junior high.

Our intermediate school has a very early start time. There are not enough buses in our district for all grades to ride at a later time, so all grades 5th and higher must go to school in the wee hours. My son needs to be out to catch the bus at 6:30 a.m. and through the week he seems sleep deprived and rarely take time for breakfast. Besides the time problem, there has been some bullying on the bus and he has seen and heard some things from older high school students that are really disturbing. There's talk of doing drugs, sex and self-mutilation (cutting) and other, what he calls, "goth" habits that I was really not aware of until this year. Its been challenging trying to explain some of these weird behaviors to a child when we as parents find some of this behavior unexplainable. We are hoping for separate buses next year, but given the money constraints, we're not holding our breath.

My child challenge in school is that he's slow. It takes him a long time to do his homework. Everything is hard.

My son does not want to be labeled or judged or singled out as "different." at his school. He has received some specialservicess due to some 504 (Health Issues) but his health is becoming stable now. We are working with an outside social working who is helping us greatly. I think the school resents it but I can't prove it. His grades sure reflected it. My son is veryarticulatee and asked not to be taken out of the class as much because it was making him "sad." The school personaldidn'tn't want toaccommodatee, etc. I would say the greatest challenge is I think my son is really doing better since thebeginningg of the first term! He is more motivated and he says, "I just want to be like every other kid. My frustration is I don't see the teacher and staff, giving him the positivereinforcementt that they should! By the way were they quick with the phone calls and the notes to tell me what a lost child he was going to be if wedidn'tn't do something soon with regard to his motivation at thebeginningg of the year. (our problem not their issue with teaching, by the way I AM A TEACHER, TEACHERS !!! Now, I can't get a book out of my kids hand; Junie B. Jones. Your Comments?

My son has in these last two weeks been dealing with a bully. This boy has pushed my son to the ground, chased him, and called him names. The other boy has received lunch detention for harassing my son, but I wonder if there is a better way to resolve their differences. I wonder if this boy and my son could sit down with a councilor and talk about their differences. It may even facilitate a friendship instead of alienating the bully from his peers and punishing him. I think he should have had consequences for his behavior, but I still think bullies should be rehabilitated in some form...

My daughter was being told by a classmate that she could not go ahead and continue her math work until this child had caught up to her.
I talked to my child and told her not to let anyone hold her back.
We also spoke of it at the parent/teacher conference.
The teacher had no idea this was happening but had recieved other complaints.
My child now stands up for herself, finishes her work and is involved in helpping the other child. A happy situation for everyone!

thanks for your information i will check in on this oneprayingmom.

debrasuefitzge:
If I'm not mistaken - I don't think the teacher should have recommended that to you for your daughter. If I understand correctly - Title I Schools receive additional funding because they are in "urban" communities to assist the children because they are "high risk". I think should should have recommended what your child is entitled to and the schools responsibility to provided and that is - tutoring. I recommend you goole Title I Schools so you can see the act in it's entirety - I didn't read it all.

my daughter started second grade and was stuggling with math.then the teacher recomended title one,and she said she would do better now that she is in this class.

Our daughter just started kindergarten and seems to be flourishing. We were a little surprised when Breanna told us that a boy was bullying her already. She said it wasn't a boy from class. When we mentioned it to her teacher at our recent parent teacher conference, she said that she would keep a look out. Our school district just had a character campaign as it does every year. Breanna wore the designated colors each day representing certain charater traits like blue for fair minded and red for honesty/integrity. It was fun for her and all the kids as we discussed why she was wearing that particular color to school that day.

Oh...I was livid, but, I left it alone - because I was so overwhelmed w/getting his - at that time - 504 implemented and now trying to get an IEP. Don't get me wrong - I cared and was scared, but, I had noticed a patrolman at the school several times, but, never gave it any thought. Then after he told me what happened - I started adding it up. I knew if I asked they would have probably denied it since they didn't send anything home. I usually make surprise visits during the week - and after he told me that - I made more. In regards to your situation - I think this dad knows EXACTLY what is going on w/his daughter. You may want to report it to the school counselor who may then in return report it to a social worker about her threats to harm herself. It could be a cry for help or it could me a side effect to her meds or just about anything....I wouldn't contact her home anymore. Just let the school counselor know and leave the ball in their court.

Hi,
I would be livid if a gun was brought to school and the principal did not report it to the parents. But they want everyone to think that their school is the best. And it does bother me the interest that this child has in my child. I have since heard that she is afraid that my child will not be friends with her because the other girls think that she is a nerd(that was not the exact word but I can't remember it now). Also she said something about killing herself if they weren't friends. I have called her parents 2 times to tell them this and they will not return my call. She said this to my now deceased 41 year old brother's fiancee. She was really concerned about it too. I guess that I will just have to leave them a strongly worded message so they will return my call. Also she calls my house every weekend when she has been told not to. The girls are to have no contact, play, or really talk to each other. But she continually does. Her dad acted really funny when I saw him at the grocery store last week. He acted really uncomfortable. I do believe that he is some of her problem. She lies about everything and he thinks that just because she knows that Jesus does not want her to lie and she knows this that she is doing better. So I don't know about this situation at all.
Thanks so much,
M

Mari5210,

Your shooting story is a little hazy. Was that girl arrested? Did anyone press charges? Bringing a weapon on campus is a felony offense, surly she did not get away with shooting at your daughter?

Well, normally I don't advocate that parents let their children leave school to attend another one when things get tough. Children have to learn to solve problems, because as adults getting the choice to leave often, isn't an option. In this case, however, I would suggest you file a restraining order on behalf of your daughter and put her in another school-away from this girl asap.

Mari...It seems this girl my have too much of an interest in your daughter. Also, her behavior is bullying. Doesn't the school have rules for this under their Student Conduct? The accusations/threats she has made against your daughter...I would recommend you go over the principals head anyway. If she is aware of the circumstances and knows you are aware and hasn't done anything - I think that is pretty negligent on the principal's part. Be REALLY careful because if this child has issues she can be definitely unpredictable and you don't want your child to be on the receiving end. Unfortunately for this child it sounds as if her parents aren't any help for her either. I know this is stressful for you - its bad enough dealing w/getting the education taught appropriately and then dealing w/violence too....Sad. My son told me within the first two months of school that a child brought a gun to school and the office found it in the hall closet and it went off. I was so floored - I didn't want believe him. I asked him again and asked why didn't the school send any info home about - he sad he didn't know....out of the mouths of babes...of course, I just didn't want to believe it - an elementary school! But, I found out it was true and they didn't send any info home about. So Sad!!

My daughter's start has been bad. A girl said that she held a gun to her head, they fought, the girl got the gun and shot at my daughter, this was like 5 weeks ago. 3 weeks ago she said my 10 year old {she is 12} asked to have sex with her. This child has all kinds of problems of molestation and ADHD and the father believes my child did this. He has to come to school weekly if not more than 1x weekly to see someone about something this girl has done. But nothing has been done for what she has put my daughter through. So the next time I will not darken the doorway of the principal, I will go to the main office on her myself for not nipping it in the bud to start with. This girl is very controlling and is afraid that others will like my daughter more than her so she is harassing my daughter. My daughter does not know what sex is!!!! Then last week my daughter was humiliated in front of her class because she left out a part on her project and told she would not get a good grade. She did get a C which is find with me. My daughter usually is on the honor roll but all I ask of her is to do the best that she can at all times. Also later last week was told she would be staying in from recess until she learned her multipublication tables even if it was for the rest of the year. What a way to treat a child or even talk to one who is already upset over the fact they are really sturggling in math! This is a 63 year old teacher! I asked for help last year and did not get it. Her 50 something old teacher would not try to teach it to my child because she "did not care if she learned it or not" so she was not going to waste her time trying. I told her 5th grade teacher she was having problems at the first of the year. It seems that a inmaturity and uncaring attitude has hit some of my teachers. I spend at least 20-40 hours helping these teachers and they do my child like that. I am one who does for them so that they can use their time to teach the class. Their time is blocked off so much they have no spare time. So I wonder what some of them do to the kids that the parents have to work and can't participate in school. I am really bummed out with our school, teachers, and the principal this year.

This was great info!

My son is talkative too. He is an only child. In our neighborhood there aren't any children for him to play with and in our family there aren't many children his age - they are older. So...the only time he gets to talk is during school - but, of course - this is not appropriate. One of his insightful teachers suggested that I get him a "buddy" to talk to in the evenings after homework. Just like us, we want to spend time w/our friends and "get away" - they too want to be around their friends. He had exchanged #'s w/friends at his school, but, one of the children at his summer camp had exchanged #'s and this child was like a big brother to him. Anyway....I set the rules for him to be able to call him - and it has cut down his talking in school. Not completely, but there has been a decrease. You may want to create some incentives/rewards/give huge praise - at home - when he comes home w/out any comments from his teachers for talking. Then at the end of the week - provide a reward. Hope this helps and good luck.

cinaflower,

To check out a great article about getting and keeping kids organized just click on this link-www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/1045

When and if you go to the link on the left hand side of the page is a browser for all kids of helpful articles.

The problem that my grandchildren face is that they are being "taught to a test". My first grader comes home withhomewokthat a more advanced student should get. The reasoning excerises are not age appropriate. The work that is sent home is hard to give assistance with because there is no textbook to refer to. They are asked to do things but a parent cannot helpthemwithout the book the stories comefrom. The vocabulary is tooo advanced for the age. I am truly thinking about homeschooling my grand children.

Both my 5th grader and 8th grader are having trouble being organized- forgetting things at school, forgetting assignments- losing things, etc. As a working mom, I know it's hard to keep everything together- as a teacher I expect more from parents!!! My 5th grader has social studies and science with a different teacher than his other subjects and according to him she doesn't interact with the students, doesn't really teach the subjects- just gives them questions to answer and sits at her desk, or lectures and they have to take notes- he's lost and hates those subjects now, and is failing them. I know it's her teaching methods to blame and I don't know what to do, what could I say?

My 1st grader had an issue like that after two weeks of being in school. I think it was the excitement of being in a new class, a new grade, and making new friends.

He and his friend from Kindergarten were split up because they were non stop talking and then at one lunch time, they were split up again because they were loud and talking too much instead of eating. After the teacher talked to him about his behavior, an email was sent home to me about what happened. I thanked her for letting me know and talked with him about it when he got home. He said that him and his friends got all excited when they started talking about Pokemon and Bakugan toys and next thing you know they were yelling over each other, trying to get a word in. Since that episode and talking to, It has never happened again.

I have had lunch with him and his friends a few times and I can't believe they have so much to say. They all get excited and want to be heard at the same time.