The blood center here is dangerously low on supply. As they are across the country at this time of the year. This is when the need is greater and the donations drop off. It is difficult to find the time to get to the blood bank when you have so much to do, and the weather is so bad. But the need doesn't decrease for the holidays. Please take some time and donate before Thanksgiving if you can! (You have 2 whole days!)
My father's life was saved by several people who took the time to donate. Accidents are high and trauma is greater in this weather. But other members of our extended family are also high risk these days. Do it for THEM!!
I'm taking the time today to donate. It's a blizzard here and the blood mobile is still operating. I'm making the time to go. Please do the same!
Also, remember that A PINTS A POUND THE WORLD AROUND!!
Do it for YOU!!!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thank You Veterans!
My youngest, Repete, will suddenly, out of nowhere, tell us that he will die as a soldier. It's a little disconcerting to hear that, being his mother. He has mentioned it on numerous occasions, usually while we are doing something completely unrelated to military. Not that we do a lot of things that are related to military, but we often find ourselves in places that soldiers are as well, namely Airshows.
Last night at dinner, we were talking about veterans and what it means to be one. He blurted out that you had to be in the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. Wow. He heard that at the Veterans Day Assembly yesterday morning, and he soaked it up like a sponge.
We talked about all the Veterans in our family and he was able to list more than a few. His father and great-grandfather were in the Navy, his Oma, Grampy, Auntie V, Uncle B, and cousin A, are all Army. There is a long list actually. I hate to name everyone in case I leave someone out.
The Salzer Family thanks you all for your service, past and present. And as Repete stated in the above essay, written yesterday. You save the world!! Thank you!!! I wish I could say more.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Book Reports and Dioramas
Pete had to do a book report on a Historical Fiction novel. As you may already know, he chose The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He spent evenings reading the story and he would tell me the about what was happening. He didn't have very many questions about it, which surprised me. I still find historical fiction hard to read sometime, because it is hard to relate to.
He sat down to write his report without complaint. He didn't enjoy doing it much, but he followed the rules, he counted the sentences required for each paragraph. He wrote two paragraphs a night for several nights and the conclusion and final draft the last night before it was due. I sat at the table to keep him company, because I knew that this wasn't homework that he was looking forward to writing. I didn't have to. He knew exactly what he wanted to write about. The first paragraph of the body was a summary of the book, the second and third were to explain the differences between today and when the novel was written and to compare and contrast those time frames. I thought that was pretty deep for 4th grade, but now I think I was underestimating my kid.
Pete didn't need my help. He wrote the entire book report on his own. I know, I know, he should do his own homework. Yeah, but I wanted to be there to answer questions and let him bounce ideas off. He didn't need me.
He had to do a diorama about the story as well. He picked the scene I would have chosen. And he knew exactly what he wanted on his diorama. He made a raft from popsicle sticks. He made a river from blue paper, he covered the back of the box with dark blue paper to show "the night sky" and he put stars on it. Then he built Huck, Jim, and a tent for the raft out of modeling clay and he put a big construction paper tree in the corner. It was fantastic.
The paper was due last week and the diorama was due yesterday morning, and when I picked him up in the afternoon it had already been graded. He was so so so excited! He got all 10's on the diorama and he only missed 2 points on the paper (1 proper noun wasn't capitalized, and he misspelled a word. How did that slip through?). He got 98%.
I wonder how many parents take the other road and give their kids a helping hand on these things? How many tell them what to read, or what to write, and what to create? (I almost called that the "easy road", but Pete wouldn't let me help him, so I guess I did take the easy road. He had to do all the work. I just watched him.)
I've very proud of Pete. He has really pulled through this week. He has earned his recess back from reading (and is so proud of that as well), and he brought home stellar grades that he worked very hard to get. An A was a fantastic reward for his hard work. But I think his dad is going to take him for ice cream as a bonus as well.
Great job Pete!!
And now back to NaNoWriMo already in progress
He sat down to write his report without complaint. He didn't enjoy doing it much, but he followed the rules, he counted the sentences required for each paragraph. He wrote two paragraphs a night for several nights and the conclusion and final draft the last night before it was due. I sat at the table to keep him company, because I knew that this wasn't homework that he was looking forward to writing. I didn't have to. He knew exactly what he wanted to write about. The first paragraph of the body was a summary of the book, the second and third were to explain the differences between today and when the novel was written and to compare and contrast those time frames. I thought that was pretty deep for 4th grade, but now I think I was underestimating my kid.
Pete didn't need my help. He wrote the entire book report on his own. I know, I know, he should do his own homework. Yeah, but I wanted to be there to answer questions and let him bounce ideas off. He didn't need me.
He had to do a diorama about the story as well. He picked the scene I would have chosen. And he knew exactly what he wanted on his diorama. He made a raft from popsicle sticks. He made a river from blue paper, he covered the back of the box with dark blue paper to show "the night sky" and he put stars on it. Then he built Huck, Jim, and a tent for the raft out of modeling clay and he put a big construction paper tree in the corner. It was fantastic.
The paper was due last week and the diorama was due yesterday morning, and when I picked him up in the afternoon it had already been graded. He was so so so excited! He got all 10's on the diorama and he only missed 2 points on the paper (1 proper noun wasn't capitalized, and he misspelled a word. How did that slip through?). He got 98%.
I wonder how many parents take the other road and give their kids a helping hand on these things? How many tell them what to read, or what to write, and what to create? (I almost called that the "easy road", but Pete wouldn't let me help him, so I guess I did take the easy road. He had to do all the work. I just watched him.)
I've very proud of Pete. He has really pulled through this week. He has earned his recess back from reading (and is so proud of that as well), and he brought home stellar grades that he worked very hard to get. An A was a fantastic reward for his hard work. But I think his dad is going to take him for ice cream as a bonus as well.
Great job Pete!!
And now back to NaNoWriMo already in progress
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Book reports and recess
I’m pissed at my kids teacher. And I’m pissed at myself for being pissed at her. And if she knew why I am pissed at her she’d probably be pissed back at me.
Kid #1, who I’m now calling Pete in all my blog posts (still have to update the old ones ro reflect his change of name), was moved to a new class room during the first week of school. I had no qualms about him moving at all. The 4th grade was too big for the number of teachers they had, so they hired a new teacher. Then they moved the gifted kids to the new teacher. Yep, Pete is gifted. No problems at all. He was nervous about moving, but he was nervous about starting 4th grade and being in the original teachers class. He is 9 and he is resilient.
Kid #2, Re-Pete (yep, I said that), had the same thing happen to his grade last year and he was one of the kids to move to a new teacher. We are getting good at this. When Re-Pete changed classes we had a note from the principal asking if it would be OK. Heck yes! He’s a kid, he can handle change. And he did. He thrived with the new teacher (best choice we could have made) and wrote her love notes all year long.
We didn’t get a choice when it was Pete’s turn to change classes. He was chosen and he was moved. We were sent a letter explaining that it might be happening and to expect a phone call from the school councelor. Pete is a little more of a cautious child and he didn’t want to change classes. It turns out that he LOVES his teacher and he loves the classroom (they get to be the only class in the modular building and they call themselves the "Mod Squad"). He’s happy. It took him some time to build up to that though. He’s gifted, but he’s lazy.
There are 3 more factors to this story that are important. 1. The kids have to read assigned books in class and take a computer test on comprehension. He reads the books and then forgets to take the test right away. Sometimes he forgets entirely and other times he forgets just long enough to have forgotten part of the story. I said he was lazy, remember. He had to earn a certain number of ‘points’ from the test to get him to the next reading level by a certain date. He didn’t. 2. His class is doing a book report each month. For October he chose The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for his historical fiction book report. Really. That is the book he chose, by himself. I love that. He read it easily and is working now on the book report and diorama that goes with it. 3. Monday through Thursday he brings home math homework. It’s usually 10 questions and it takes him anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to complete, which he does the moment he walks in the front door without question or complaint.
Last night was a rough night for him and it wasn’t until 8:30 (past his bedtime) that we figured out the whole story. By the time I got off work and picked the kids up yesterday it was 4:30 in the afternoon. Slightly later than normal, but not unusually late. He got home and began his math homework. His father got home and we loaded up the kids, got into the car, and went to VOTE! (I think it is important that the kids see the parents voting and we talked about why it’s important and what it means. Re-pete just wanted a sticker. And they are too young to leave at home alone. I kind of have to bring them places still.) We stopped and grabbed a pizza on the way home from the polls and then Pete sat down to finish his homework. By now it’s 6:00. He had some questions this time and it really did take him a little longer than usual to finish his homework, not including the break he had to take for the election. He did finish it though, he always does. Then he pulled out his book report and worked on that a little more. By the way, I am amazed at what scene he decided to build his diorama about (the one I would have chosen myself, smart little turd that he is). By the time he got to a stopping point in his writing it was very nearly bedtime. He got his teeth brushed and his pjs on and I tucked him in, and he was in tears! Sobbing because he didn’t have any time to play today AT ALL. At all? Really? Then he explained to us that he has had to stay in for lunch recess every day (for I don’t know how long now) to catch up on his reading tests. He thought that he had passed the last test today though and tomorrow he would get recess back. I had no idea this was happening. He never told me that he was missing recess to read for quite some time, and neither did his teacher. Don’t get me wrong. I believe that if he hadn’t completed the work and he knew that the consequence was staying in 1 recess a day until he did, he deserved to stay in and complete the reading that he missed. Consequences are great learning tools. Then he told me that he didn’t have afternoon recess today because one day a month they get an extra P.E. class and that happens during afternoon recess and they have to go to it.
Now, it may seem petty to be complaining about a lack of recess, but I think that recess is very important. Imagine doing your job for 8 hours a day with out getting up to stretch, or checking the internet, or taking a walk, or whatever it is that you do to break up your day. Kids NEED that. There are studies that show how important it is for kids brains. They can only learn for so long before they have to RUN. After a certain period nothing more soaks in. OK. I’ll admit that P.E. could fill that hole. They get to let loose some steam and stretch their legs. But Pete is just like me. P.E. was more stressful than math was. It’s not the same thing as recess at all.
By the end of the day the only free time that kid had all day was the 1 hour after school at GAP when they had snack and got settled into the GAP room before I picked him up.
I am pissed. And Pete is pissed.
To be fair here, I really like his teacher. She is doing a great job with my quirky kid, she is mostly good at communicating (she always answers my questions when I see her or email her) She likes Pete a lot too, it’s obvious. But she dropped the ball yesterday. If she knew that they had no afternoon recess due to P.E. she should not have kept him in for lunch recess. I think a little flexibility was in order here.
For two days now I’ve been emailing back and forth with Petes teacher. Conferences are next week and she never sent home the sheet that gave me the time to see her (or more likely, Pete never gave it to me and now it’s lost). Re-Petes teacher sent hers, I signed it and sent it back. Last year the kids teachers worked together to set conference times for siblings back to back so parents only have to make one trip to the school. I can only imagine the logistics in this type of planning. But it seemed to work fairly easily for our family, and I am still grateful for effort put out by those teachers. Because I didn’t receive a conference form from Pete’s teacher I sent her an email* and we set up times that way. It took some doing and a small concession on her part (thank you so much!) to get the conferences at the same time and schedule them early in the day (or late in the afternoon. Anything other than middle of the day). In the confirmation email that I sent her this morning I asked if Pete had passed the test and got his recess back. She said that he is 0.6 points away and would be staying in again today. I could not even reply to her. I just hope that Pete got to blow off steam in the afternoon. Because tonight he has to finish his written report.
I’m angry because I love my child and he was hurting yesterday. His mind hurt from too much learning. His body hurt from too much sitting. And his heart hurt because it seemed no one was on his side. I’m on your side buddy! I just need all the information so I can help you. I learned that I need to ask him specific questions to know what is going on in his world, and then I need to follow up with his teacher.
Conferences are next week and I will calmly sit down with his teacher and tell her my concerns. Communication is the biggie here. And forward thinking.
*I LOVE that the teachers at our school are using email to communicate with parents this year. It works great for me and I hope it works well for them. Technology rocks!!
This blog post is 1690 words. I have to type up 1667 words of fiction each day to stay on Nanowrimo schedule. I just spent a lot of time typing this up, when I could have been thinking about my story. I hope I didn’t just blow my whole word count on this post. I guess I will be worth it if I did, because I feel a lot better now).
Now back to Nanowrimo already in progress.
Kid #1, who I’m now calling Pete in all my blog posts (still have to update the old ones ro reflect his change of name), was moved to a new class room during the first week of school. I had no qualms about him moving at all. The 4th grade was too big for the number of teachers they had, so they hired a new teacher. Then they moved the gifted kids to the new teacher. Yep, Pete is gifted. No problems at all. He was nervous about moving, but he was nervous about starting 4th grade and being in the original teachers class. He is 9 and he is resilient.
Kid #2, Re-Pete (yep, I said that), had the same thing happen to his grade last year and he was one of the kids to move to a new teacher. We are getting good at this. When Re-Pete changed classes we had a note from the principal asking if it would be OK. Heck yes! He’s a kid, he can handle change. And he did. He thrived with the new teacher (best choice we could have made) and wrote her love notes all year long.
We didn’t get a choice when it was Pete’s turn to change classes. He was chosen and he was moved. We were sent a letter explaining that it might be happening and to expect a phone call from the school councelor. Pete is a little more of a cautious child and he didn’t want to change classes. It turns out that he LOVES his teacher and he loves the classroom (they get to be the only class in the modular building and they call themselves the "Mod Squad"). He’s happy. It took him some time to build up to that though. He’s gifted, but he’s lazy.
There are 3 more factors to this story that are important. 1. The kids have to read assigned books in class and take a computer test on comprehension. He reads the books and then forgets to take the test right away. Sometimes he forgets entirely and other times he forgets just long enough to have forgotten part of the story. I said he was lazy, remember. He had to earn a certain number of ‘points’ from the test to get him to the next reading level by a certain date. He didn’t. 2. His class is doing a book report each month. For October he chose The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for his historical fiction book report. Really. That is the book he chose, by himself. I love that. He read it easily and is working now on the book report and diorama that goes with it. 3. Monday through Thursday he brings home math homework. It’s usually 10 questions and it takes him anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to complete, which he does the moment he walks in the front door without question or complaint.
Last night was a rough night for him and it wasn’t until 8:30 (past his bedtime) that we figured out the whole story. By the time I got off work and picked the kids up yesterday it was 4:30 in the afternoon. Slightly later than normal, but not unusually late. He got home and began his math homework. His father got home and we loaded up the kids, got into the car, and went to VOTE! (I think it is important that the kids see the parents voting and we talked about why it’s important and what it means. Re-pete just wanted a sticker. And they are too young to leave at home alone. I kind of have to bring them places still.) We stopped and grabbed a pizza on the way home from the polls and then Pete sat down to finish his homework. By now it’s 6:00. He had some questions this time and it really did take him a little longer than usual to finish his homework, not including the break he had to take for the election. He did finish it though, he always does. Then he pulled out his book report and worked on that a little more. By the way, I am amazed at what scene he decided to build his diorama about (the one I would have chosen myself, smart little turd that he is). By the time he got to a stopping point in his writing it was very nearly bedtime. He got his teeth brushed and his pjs on and I tucked him in, and he was in tears! Sobbing because he didn’t have any time to play today AT ALL. At all? Really? Then he explained to us that he has had to stay in for lunch recess every day (for I don’t know how long now) to catch up on his reading tests. He thought that he had passed the last test today though and tomorrow he would get recess back. I had no idea this was happening. He never told me that he was missing recess to read for quite some time, and neither did his teacher. Don’t get me wrong. I believe that if he hadn’t completed the work and he knew that the consequence was staying in 1 recess a day until he did, he deserved to stay in and complete the reading that he missed. Consequences are great learning tools. Then he told me that he didn’t have afternoon recess today because one day a month they get an extra P.E. class and that happens during afternoon recess and they have to go to it.
Now, it may seem petty to be complaining about a lack of recess, but I think that recess is very important. Imagine doing your job for 8 hours a day with out getting up to stretch, or checking the internet, or taking a walk, or whatever it is that you do to break up your day. Kids NEED that. There are studies that show how important it is for kids brains. They can only learn for so long before they have to RUN. After a certain period nothing more soaks in. OK. I’ll admit that P.E. could fill that hole. They get to let loose some steam and stretch their legs. But Pete is just like me. P.E. was more stressful than math was. It’s not the same thing as recess at all.
By the end of the day the only free time that kid had all day was the 1 hour after school at GAP when they had snack and got settled into the GAP room before I picked him up.
I am pissed. And Pete is pissed.
To be fair here, I really like his teacher. She is doing a great job with my quirky kid, she is mostly good at communicating (she always answers my questions when I see her or email her) She likes Pete a lot too, it’s obvious. But she dropped the ball yesterday. If she knew that they had no afternoon recess due to P.E. she should not have kept him in for lunch recess. I think a little flexibility was in order here.
For two days now I’ve been emailing back and forth with Petes teacher. Conferences are next week and she never sent home the sheet that gave me the time to see her (or more likely, Pete never gave it to me and now it’s lost). Re-Petes teacher sent hers, I signed it and sent it back. Last year the kids teachers worked together to set conference times for siblings back to back so parents only have to make one trip to the school. I can only imagine the logistics in this type of planning. But it seemed to work fairly easily for our family, and I am still grateful for effort put out by those teachers. Because I didn’t receive a conference form from Pete’s teacher I sent her an email* and we set up times that way. It took some doing and a small concession on her part (thank you so much!) to get the conferences at the same time and schedule them early in the day (or late in the afternoon. Anything other than middle of the day). In the confirmation email that I sent her this morning I asked if Pete had passed the test and got his recess back. She said that he is 0.6 points away and would be staying in again today. I could not even reply to her. I just hope that Pete got to blow off steam in the afternoon. Because tonight he has to finish his written report.
I’m angry because I love my child and he was hurting yesterday. His mind hurt from too much learning. His body hurt from too much sitting. And his heart hurt because it seemed no one was on his side. I’m on your side buddy! I just need all the information so I can help you. I learned that I need to ask him specific questions to know what is going on in his world, and then I need to follow up with his teacher.
Conferences are next week and I will calmly sit down with his teacher and tell her my concerns. Communication is the biggie here. And forward thinking.
*I LOVE that the teachers at our school are using email to communicate with parents this year. It works great for me and I hope it works well for them. Technology rocks!!
This blog post is 1690 words. I have to type up 1667 words of fiction each day to stay on Nanowrimo schedule. I just spent a lot of time typing this up, when I could have been thinking about my story. I hope I didn’t just blow my whole word count on this post. I guess I will be worth it if I did, because I feel a lot better now).
Now back to Nanowrimo already in progress.
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