Wow! Way Way Way too Long

Taking it from here.

School has begun...it has been hectic for several reasons. We have more classes this Fall because we have more rooms to offer chemistry labs in. Melissa needs a clone.

It is hectic because the Roo and Lyd also started school the same week we did this year which hasn't happened before. They started usually two weeks behind us which let the waters settle at the college and then we could get settled with their schedule at school. We switched to public school this year. We did so mainly due to financial reasons and partly due to shrinking class sizes as grade levels increased. By the time sixth grade came around class size was only 13 students (that was total sixth graders on campus period). We thought that was a bit too sheltered. It hadn't been an easy decision because overall we were very pleased with VCA and their education, and we were still pondering over our decision.

Anyway, the transition has been interesting. We met with the principal during the end of last year and the kids did as well. He was polished and slick as a principal should be I suppose. Teachers for the kids weren't posted until the day before classes and that wasn't until the afternoon. This school is a top ranked school in Santa Barbara County. Anyway...when we got there, there were hoards of kids and parents hovering the window glass searching for their names on the assigned class lists. We found Roo's fairly quickly. Room 7 with Mrs. Hooker (gotta love the name). I had met with her during open house the year before and was left with a mediocre impression of her. She seemed a bit reluctant to give out information at first until it became apparent I had any clue I knew what I was talking about.

We searched, and searched for Lydia's name. We did not find it right away. My blood was beginning to boil. If her name was not on a list the office was about to get an earful and I had my answer as to where they were going to go to school. I had registered the kids in the district well before the end of the previous school year so they had no excuse to have missed one of them. Adding to my irritation were parents who were letting their kids ride scooters under other parents feet without saying a word to aprehend their little urchins. Needless to say, I finally found Lyd's name. It wasn't easy to find because the list was haphazardly put together. The teacher's names were hand scrawled at the top and the class grade was listed as 4th/3rd. We were simply looking for 3rd. So we missed the 3rd several times. Name were not in alphabetical order at all. The list was in a completely different font than any other list posted under the glass. I got the inclination this class was assembled at the last minute.

Upon taking the kids to their first day of school the following day, my suspicions were confirmed. The class was completely void of the normal classroom decorations teachers generally adorn the classroom with and there was only one teacher in the class when there was supposed to be two according to the class roster under the glass. Of course, the other teacher was listed as Dana (The principal), which had a suspicious air to it. After further questioning and Lyd announcing they will be getting a new teacher at the end of the week but they are keeping it a "surprise" for the students, that directly told me that they hadn't even hired one yet. Well, the end of the week came and there was still no new teacher and the class is being taught by one instructor with 4th and 3rd graders with a total of 35 students, my blood was boiling again. I fired off a letter to Mr. Dana basically asking him what the hell was going on and asking why we have not been notified as to the truthful status of this class when I can fully well tell that no new teacher has been hired and in my opinion the children are getting the short end of the stick. He wrote me back the same day announcing that my perception was accurate that there was no teacher when school started but they had hired one and she would be starting on Monday. Lydia should be brining home a letter today, which she did.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday came with no new teacher. She did not start until the following Monday. The entire lack of effective or truthful communication has completely pissed me off and I can hardly stand it. I like the new teacher okay, but again, communication is lacking and homework assignments are vague as they are in Roo's class as well. This is taking some getting used to. It seems that they there is some leeway in the assignments. They assign some, and then there are "challenge" problems which they don't have to do but if they feel up to it they can. This is all the words from my kids mouths becuase there is nothing in writing. So, after several sessions of quizzing teachers of this they say they give general homework and give out the "challenge" problems for those who are more advanced. Well, these advanced problems are sections are not hard mind you, but they kids who can't do them can't possibly feel persecuted because they can't do them so they won't be accountable for them. Basically from what I can gather it is all from the "No Child Left Behind" act. The teachers won't come right out and say that, but it is inferred. I find it frustrating. So, I am making some of my own homework at home for the kids because frankly what they are doing at school is remedial compared to what they were doing before.

Now, I can't completely bash the school because they do do more art and creative writing which I find refreshing and I feel the kids definitely need. However, I cannot say that I always agree with their choice of "art" lessons. Roo came out of class one day and asked if I knew who painted "Starry Starry Night". I told him, "Yes, Vincent Van Gogh". I was excited that they were taking about great artists in school and he was so excited that I knew who he was. He said, "Yes! (And in a very concerned voice he said)...did you know he shot and killed himself?" Okay...I was taken aback, I have to admit, it took me a second to process my son just relayed to me that he just learned about suicide at school today. I didn't want to jump to conclusions as to how he found out the information. I told him that yes, I did know that, and how did he learn that. "Our teacher read it to us from a book today". I clarified that it was in the book? He assured me it was. We discussed the matter a little more. The kid has dealt with a lot of death this year...from his grandfather, close friends, and 3 pets this year, all of which have taken a heavy toll on his tender heart. The concept of someone deliberatley ending their own life was completely uncomprehendable to him. Which, I would think for most seven year olds it would be. Maybe mine is just a whimp, I don't know. I think a seven year old has a right to remain a little carefree and innocent for a little fucking while! geez!

So, we drive home, my mind is spinning 80,000 miles per hour. Mrs. Hooker is already gone for the day. I wanted to know what really happened in class that day and how the topic came up. I went in the following Monday before class and approached her about it. I informed that it was to my understanding they had studied Van Gogh. She smiled her patronizing smile and agreed they had. I then asked about the topic of his suicide and if that was an appropriate topic for second graders etc. She immediately put up the defensive umbrella of, "it's in our curriculum!" I could care less where it came from lady in all honesty. I said kids this age are really just beginning to get a grasp on death and you throw this at them. Her reply was, "well I did gloss over it but we do talk about real every day things in this class". Then she grabbed the book and proceeds to tell me how she discussed it at she read it and this is almost verbatim what she said, "first, we talked about how gloomy his paintings were. then we talked about how sad he was and how he was never really happy himself, we even talk about that Gogauin (sp) lived with him and how they argued a lot, and that he was just never really very friendly and that he cut off his ear, and then finally he shot himself." She showed me the very last two sentences of this children's art book..."He shot himself. He died two days later". She insisted the kids always want to know why he died so young and how. I am sure they do, but not once did she mention his contributions to the art world or anything of that nature. Perhaps that was because my beef was with the topic of the suicide so she was addressing how they led up to that but all I got out of it was that it is okay to bump yourself off if you aren't happy. I am surprised every kid didn't go home and put their head in an oven. Anyway, all the kids did paint copies of the "sunflowers" painting which were displayed for back to school night. So, all and all the kids are adjusting better than the parents are with the school transition save for the Van Gogh history.

One huge difference I have noticed with teachers and the principal at this school vs. the previous school is that they treat you at this school like they are social workers. Looking for that alterior, hidden secret you aren't letting out, treating you with kid gloves like you aren't intelligent enough to be raising your own kids. Whereas at the other school they treated you as an intelligent equal and recongnized fully well that you, as the parent, had the final authority with your own child, not them. I have so far ran into two parents with kids who the school wants have put on medication becuase their kids are "hyper". Bullshit. I have seen these kids...they are normal boys, they aren't ADD nor ADHD, they are boys, albeit perhaps a little busy, but some just are. but that doesn't make them an automatic label for ADD. That is just a cheap copout so they get a zombied kid in class who won't occassionally disrupt a class. Hell, by today's standards I would have been recommended to be put on lithium in grade school and I can tell you I was not ADD. I was obstinate, but i was fully aware of what I was doing, or what I was not doing. They were direct choices made by me and I knew it. Okay, getting off my school soap box.

Now, I will be heading up to San Jose this weekend to treat my friend Leah for her 40th birthday party to a Neil Diamond concert! I found it on a whim several months ago. Saw something about a new album out and then saw him on American Idol and I knew enough to know that this is usally associated with a concert tour. Well, I went to his website and concert tours were listed with one in San Jose, where she lives, on the Sunday two days before her birthday! Tickets went on sale that morning! A total whim! so I went for it and bought three tix. One for my nephew (who I have brainwashed since he was in diapers to listen to Neil) since he was supposed to be back in Cali by that time, but won't be now), and one for Leah, and one for me. The unused nephew ticket will be used by our friend Denise, so it will be a girls night out. I have no idea what they are calling this tour, but I am calling it Neil's Wheel chair tour. LOL. I am sorry, his voice is shot half the time these days, but I just had to go. I have seen Neil three times previously. The first time for my graduation in 1983. My brother Greg took me and we saw him at the infamous Greek Theatre. Awesome. What a fabulous show. The man is an entertainer's entertainer. I cannot say enough. The next two times have been at the Forum in Los Angeles. Once with my afore mentioned nephew when he was about 4 years old. We were not telling him where we were taking him or he would have pestered us the entire way down to the show. Well, we pulled into the parking lot and he sees posters of neil diamond everywhere and asks, "can we go see Neil Diamond?" We tell him that is his surprise. He squeals with delight and we rock out all night and the majority of the night he is on my shoulders. We had a grand time.

Now, my next adventure of late is I want to buy a motorcycle. It is partly my coworkers fault and partly my husbands. I have ridden bikes for years, but haven't ridden a very long time now and my actual street experience is limited. My coworker is getting a bike. She took the riding class and someone gave her a bike. It was a bit of a beater and it was too big for her. She has no experience other than the class. Mark bought the bike from her. He has lots of experience. So, of course I want one now too. I am kicking myself for missing out on a good deal for the bike I have been looking for. A Kawasaki Ninja 500. Couldn't go look at it right then and it sold quickly. Oh well, there will be more. I have signed up for the class but it is really backlogged. I guess there are a lot of people taking the class due to gas prices. that is not why I am taking it. I am in the pursuit of pleasure. LOL.