Friday, July 06, 2007

Meet and Greet

Yesterday most schools in the area had their teacher meet and greet.  Did you notice anything different?

My oldest child has been going to the same school since Kindergarten.  I have been to many meet and greets at this school.  This year is a first.  The school is one of the elementary schools converting to YR for the first time.  The teachers where all very nice and the school looked great.  Just one thing though,  the class rooms looked bare.  What do I mean by bare?  There was no personalization of the class room for the teacher and her class.  There was the occasional poster with the children’s names on them but the rooms by and large seemed to be bare. 

In the years past teachers have had the opportunity to personalize their room for the year.  They would create work stations for reading, math and writing.  They would have a book corner for quiet or private reading.  There would be more supplies lined up in the bookcases.  Not this year.

As I understand it, the teachers are working out of fairly large carts that are mobile.  These carts have all the items that they would need for the school year with areas to keep their supplies and the children’s records.  These are made to be mobile because every time the children track out they will be coming back to a different classroom.  We put the question of how will the children know where to go when they go back after break and the teachers where all very reassuring that the “children will know where to go”. 

I am in support of the YR conversion but this does seem to be one of those things that would be an inconvenience.  It’s not an inconvenience to me or my children but for the teachers.  Imagine teaching in one classroom for up to 9 weeks and then you track out.  The teacher must then pack up her fairly large, and I imagine heavy, cart with all those items from the last nine weeks and have them moved to their new room.  I sure do hope that someone helps them move them.  I really do understand why some teachers would not like this part of year round.

And what happens when they go back?  I understand that they will know where they are going before break but does this room change also cut into their track out time.  Do the teachers have to leave later than the students and arrive before they get back to organize the new classroom?  And where on earth will they store these large carts while the room they were in is now being utilized by another teacher and class? 

If you are a teacher currently experiencing these problems, please let me know how this will work or how it is going for you.  I’m sure people are concerned about retaining good, qualified teachers but will YR cause problems with retention?  I sure hope not!

Friday, June 29, 2007

Only Ten More Days

Year round schools start the new year on July 9th.  Only a few short days away.  Ten to be exact but who’s counting?  I am!

For the last 21 days we have been to the museum and saw the Egyptian exhibit, rode the train and merry-go-round at Pullen Park, went swimming any number of times and have done any number of art projects.  Now it is time to think BACK TO SCHOOL!  In the next ten days we need to get ready for the upcoming start of the new school year.  It’s time to start thinking about notebooks, #2 pencils, crayons, colored pencils and backpacks.  Their is only one problem, there are no huge back to school sales for these items!
Never thought I would find a down side to year round but maybe I have stumbled upon one.  Usually I look forward to the back to school sales were you can get all your school supplies for $20-$30 a kid.  Now I have 3 kids that I need to get supplies for and there are no sales for the items in need.  No $.10 crayons or colored pencils.  No $.25 notebook paper.  No nothing that I have found.  I have spoken to the employees at Staples and found out that their first back to school ad comes out on July 8th.  That should be fun.  Go to the store on Sunday to hopefully get the supplies that are needed for the start of the school year the next day.  And since most of the schools in my area are going year round I imagine I won’t be alone.  I can see it now, people camping out in front of the store to be the first one there to be sure to get all their supplies at the right price.  Somewhat reminiscent of x-mas shopping!  Instead of “black Friday” we will now have “yellow Sunday” (as in yellow school buses.  What?  Not a good one?)  Women will be plowing each other down to get their supplies in time to get home and figure out that they forgot something.
I also have yet to receive my final letters from the school board that say what track my kids are on.  You know those blue and white forms that say your child’s name, grade, school and track number now.  I have two of them for my two children returning to school but my Kindergartner has not received one yet.  Also those lists that you can find at the stores that list the supplies needed for certain schools based on grade aren’t out yet either.  Hhmm!
Let’s try something!  I will be in search of those lists and looking for the best prices I can for some of the items I know we will need.  You can do the same and let’s post them here.  Maybe we can help get through this little glitch in the year round conversion schedule.  Talk with you soon!  :)

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Fundamentally against or for year round conversions

This blog has yielded a lively debate between one who fundamentally supports YR conversion and one who is fundamentally against it.  Where do you stand?

There are only two sides to this debate and both sides feel that they are the ones that are absolutely correct.  Is their a gray area in this?  Can both sides be right? 

One of the arguments is that YR conversions will interfere with extracurricular activities that occur during the summer.  The one that seems to be a particular sticky one is local area swim teams.  One mom stated that her children would not be able compete in the summer program because they would be in school.  She inadvertently challenged me to learn more about the swim clubs in the area.  I looked into them and found that they are accommodating to YR and one particular person who was a representative for a private local swim club has his own children on the swim team and in YR on track 2.  He said it works out just fine.  Is there a gray area here that we are both not getting?

Another argument raised was that summer vacations are needed to visit family that lives out of state.  It’s true we have a lot a transplants here, me included, who do have family that don’t live here obviously.  My suggestion was that when you choose to move here you choose to separate yourself from your family in search of what you were or must have been missing when you lived near them. For us it was a full time job for my husband.  It would seem easier to visit and spend time with your family every 9 weeks for a couple of weeks or so than to spend 2 months near them.  Most of us here do need to work and it would be an impossibility for most of us to go away for 2 months to see family.  Need to work to pay the bills if you know what I mean.  Is there a gray area here?

There has also been discussion about the county commissioners.  Did they do the right thing by withholding money for the conversions?  Was forcing the school to look for other options ultimately backfire on them?  The BOE knows that this area is bursting at the seams and we can’t build schools fast enough to keep up with growth.  Why can’t the county commissioners see this?  They are in large part the problem makers instead of the problem solvers in this matter by not controlling growth as they should have.  But, I know it revenue issue.  More people, more money etc.  But more people = more children = more money needed for education.  Seems like a simple equation or is there a gray area here also?

One suggestion is that YR schools are going to cost us too much money because we have to deal with the parents that have opted out of the YR conversions.  One thing afforded to them by WakeCARES and their lawsuit.  One person who supports WakeCARES made this comment.  As far as I am concerned don’t whine about it costing more money when you are the cause of it and proud of it and this person was.  Seems very contradictory to me. 

My point here is can both sides find even ground?  Can we ultimately come together for the betterment of our children or is this issue going to continue to drive a wedge between people in Wake County for years to come?  Should our children BE a gray area?  Voice you opinion either way here.  Thank you!

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Yeah for Year Round conversions

How do you feel about the YR conversions?  I totally support them and here is the reason why!

The Wake County school board has taken a lot of heat lately for their YR conversion plan.  And why not you say? Maybe they should get some of the blame
for the problem, but do they really deserve it.  I think not.  This area has been growing since the early 90’s with no end in site for the near future and all
those people coming here are predominantly of child bearing years and subsequently having children after they settle in.  Our Elementary Schools are

overloaded with children from grades K-5 and so are the middle schools grades 6-8.  These children are only going to get older and create a problem with

our High Schools in the near future.  Year round conversions are the only solution to this problem.  Why not use the schools we have in a more efficient

way while we plan on building more schools for our children.  Several bonds have been proposed in the last several years with one being turned down. 

One has to wonder that if that bond had passed if we would still be in this situation.  Hind sight is 20/20 they say.  Now the county commissioners want to

place a bond referendum on the ballot of a staggering amount of money this year.  I believe the amount is $1 BILLION.  These schools are needed but let’s

utilize the schools we already have before we start throwing money, OUR HARD EARNED MONEY, at the problem.  Utilization of what we have is key.  The

reason I voted for the last bond is because of the promise to utilize the schools in a better fashion.

Also, why do our children need to have 2 1/2 months off during the hottest part of the year.  Can’t go outside in the heat of the day so you stay inside,

watching TV, bored to tears after the first two weeks.  Used to be that children where out of school over the summer to work on the farm and help out the

family.  How much of that is actually still going on here in Wake County?  Others would argue that they need the time off to take vacations and to visit

family that live out of state.  I’m so glad that some of you are blessed enough to not have to work or are able to take 2 months off to visit family out of

state without the worry of how your going to pay your bills.  The other half are not that fortunate.  I’m sorry that your children won’t be forming any bonds

with their cousins but when you moved here maybe that was something that you should have given thought to.  We did when we moved here almost 10

years ago now.  Our children don’t have very close relationships with their cousins but the miles haven’t changed the fact that they are still family to us and

us to them.  My personal favorite was the comment that YR conversions would add to the child obesity problem.  WHAT?  Yeah, because children only

get exercise during summer vacation!  Along with a side of HEAT STROKE!  90+ degree days will do that to ya you know!  But seriously

lets get real.  My children are involved in activities all year long.  I would even suggest that 2 1/2 months worth of summer vacation might actually be

contributing to child obesity rates since they are bored to TEARS!  Oh, and afraid of HEAT STROKE!  I digress!

I’m just a working mother of three children affected by this conversion.  I am blogging so that you can get a first hand glimpse of how the conversion really

affects our family life from day to day.  I hope you enjoy and please give me some of your input!  Just as long as it’s NICE!  :)