Sunday, March 8, 2015

2nd Grade

How do you spell fright?
Bright
Right
Spell cook, shook, brook, hook
Here are the challenge words.  Can you spell the challenge words?
Myself, identify, arrival
Don't forget about your reading log.  Are you reading every night? Did you fill in your reading log?
Randy has 36 tokens.  Skip gives him 12 more tokens.  Should Randy add or subtract to find how many tokens he has now?  
Subtract.  Regroup.  Add to check your subtraction.
Math facts.  Practice, practice, practice.  Have you done your math facts today?  Let's practice math facts.  What was your score on the timed test?  
7+6
10-6
21-10
12+8
8+5
Okay, girls.  Let's line up at the bar.  Plie.  Rond de jambe.  Legs straight.  Keep those feet pointed.  Do it again.  Point those feet.  You should be wearing pink tights.  
Now let's do handstands.  Legs straight. Squeeze in those bellies.  Legs straight.  Bar, beam, beam bar floor.  Do you have your backbend? You need your backbend. 

If I try to recall memories from the second grade, I come up with an empty space.  Nothing.  Nada.  I remember a little from first grade and more from fourth grade but second grade is missing.  I don't believe homework was assigned to us in second grade.  There was sporadic homework in fourth grade which leads to my conclusion that there was none in second grade.  And I can't recall when the torture of little league began but oh, I so badly wanted to take dance lessons.

As a working mom, I quite often feel like my head is spinning when it comes to keeping up with homework.  And this is just the second grade.  By the time I arrive home at night, it's late and homework should already be completed.  Sometimes someone is finishing up or there's a worksheet I need to review.  Then I try to squeeze in math facts.

There have been a few tough lessons this school year.  You won't be invited to every birthday party.  Your friends will have other friends.  What does it mean to be a friend?  The girl drama in Allie's class, which unfortunately appears to have been driven by one girl, is out of control.  Allie had connected and made a new (good) friend at the beginning of the year but this other girl wanted to be Allie's friend and there was some mean girl stuff and then Allie was friends with her but then not friends with her and then friends with this one but now not friends with this one and then friends with that one again but then not friends with her.  Let's just say I'm keeping my fingers crossed that certain kids are NOT in her class next year.

There was an incident a few weeks ago in Emily's class which I think was either a misunderstanding or a mistake (by an adult) and long story short, Emily and I talked about the importance of speaking up and not being shy.  It's best to resolve issues in the moment and in order to do so, you need to speak up when the injustice arises.  Fast forward to a week later and Emily's stuffed animal goes missing from her backpack.  She saw it there at snack, went to pack up an hour later to go home and it's gone.  So she spoke up.  (Very proud of her.)  She and several other students saw the missing stuffed animal in another girl's backpack, told the substitute teacher (there was a sub when the other thing happened too) and the sub asks the girl if she has it.  Of course, she says no.  Then it was time for everyone to haul out of there.  Where are the walkers?  The bussers need to line up.  Emily didn't tell Grammy what happened until they were home and she was just beside herself.  I think what really sucked about the whole situation was that she had a voice.  She spoke up when she was supposed to and no one listened.

The girl's mother called that night to say that they had the stuffed animal and it would be returned the next day.  (And before you comment and say she shouldn't bring things to school that she will miss, she should be able to bring a freaking stuffed animal to school without the fear that it will be stolen.  Or in this case, kidnapped.  Because of the weather, they've been stuck with indoor recess for well over a month now, probably six weeks, and they are allowed to bring in things to play with during that time.)

I may be institutionalized before they reach high school.

6 comments:

kdliberty said...

I sympathize with Allie. Her name was Jodie and she was the A+ drama queen in my 3rd grade class. As an adult I now realize she was also a bully. My Mom requested we be in different classes for 4th grade. The school thankfully honored that request....

P.S> it will only get worse as they get older.

Anonymous said...

My daughter is in kindergarten and she's had issues with a mean girl taking things from her backpack too. It's so sad that they can't bring things to school for fear someone will take them. Unfortunately she doesn't know how to speak up for herself yet. We're working on it.

Anonymous said...

My daughter is in 4th grade. Oh the drama. And most of the kids in her class (her year in fact) are girls. Sorry to say, it does get worse. And we haven't reached the hormone age yet.

Yes, Emily should be able to bring a stuffie to school with her.

My heart goes out.

Baby Detective Agency said...

My heart goes out to Emily. When I was in the first grade, there was a girl that terrorized me - took my stuff, gave it back when it was destroyed, including a guardian angel pin that a family friend (a nun) had given me. Unlike Emily, I didn't feel I had a voice, and when I finally tried to tell someone she turned it around and said I had taken it from her! That was more than 20 years ago and it still bothers me today to think of it! I'm glad Emily is beginning to speak up for herself and that she feels comfortable coming to her family when others fail her.

Ashlee said...

I'm glad the kidnapper has a good mom who made her daughter return the animal! I once had a cabbage patch kidnapped I saw the little girl with it and her mom insisted that it was hers and she had always had it, they even removed the tag that had my name on it!

I don't think girl drama started with me until 6th grade so I'm so sorry Emily is having to deal with it already!

Unknown said...

Then when they reach high school you'll wish you had been.