Kids need better education in life!

So my daughter has been in school a week now. She's liking the first grade and I'm happy she's enjoying her time. I decided to add more onto my plate and home school both kids in furthering their education. I feel public school does nothing to give my children the heads up they need to succeed in adulthood.

Sure they will be in public school for the social aspect but being educated on a level of success I feel they will not get. I read my daughters elementary school ranked in the 500's out of 700's in our state of Oregon. I was shocked and appalled by those numbers.

I think our children in the USA are being under educated and the failure to see what government education is doing on our children to me is under-minding their futures. I wish my husband and I could afford private school because then I would know they are getting the education they deserve. Our public schools should be raise the educational bar so our school children have a chance to succeed once they finish their education. It doesn't cost money to expect more from your students.

Why do people want just average for our school children? Why not let them thrive to be the best they can be, to push them to want to do more than what's asked of them and to praise them for what they have achieved then rewarding to make them feel better.

Maybe I grew up in a different era or a Canadian education makes a difference but I believe a child who's in a great learning environment who is pushed a little to see what they can do while they are learning to the best of their ability is rewarding not only to the child but also for society. We want smart kids in our society and not kids who expect to just be average and scrap by in life. Our economy needs it and our society needs it. My children's generation in 40 years will be the leaders of tomorrow.

I also want my children to embrace failure so they can learn from their mistakes. Failure isn't a bad thing if you grow from learning from your mistakes. If you don't allow your children to fail in an educational situation you are not doing them any favors but hurting their growth in learning.

I always tell my children I have a few simple rules I ask of them:

Do the best to your ability! "Can I do better?"
Try new things
Enjoy your life and have fun!

My up bringing was a lot different then how I'm raising my children. I got the good education but lacked the parental encouragement. We all need to cheer our kids on and not accept just average but greatness because these children of today will be our leaders tomorrow. Have a nice day!!

Good dose of Reality!!

My heart got a workout Monday morning and I'm hoping never have to go through that again in my lifetime. Our Monday started off like any Monday getting up at 7am to get the daughter ready for school. I woke up feeling not so hot like I was coming down with something or had something like a cold, infection, or flu and I new it could mean along day. We decided our daughter needed to have some more independence so last week while her grandmother was watching the kids while we were away would dropped my daughter off at the front door of her school and she would walk to class. When we got back from our trip her father kept it up and dropped her off in front of the school and she promised she would walk straight to her class.

So Monday was like any other. Her father dropped her off in front of the school and watched her go into the building and then he came home because I wasn't feeling well. 10am the phone rings and an automatic message from my daughters school saying she was absent from school. I think I about threw up. I told my husband to drive to the school and told him the school said she wasn't at school. My child wasn't at school. What happened to her? My husband saw her go into the school but she didn't arrive to her classroom. Where is she? I was in shock, I was panicked, I couldn't even cry and all I wanted was to hear good news. So while my husband was driving to the school I called the school to give the school the heads up he was on his way. Where is my daughter? Call 911!!!

The women on the phone said it was a clerical error and my daughter was at school but she got a tardy slip and because they were short staffed she got put on the absent list and that's why we got the automatic message. I was so relieved I couldn't even get mad. My daughter was safe at school in her class where she was supposed to be. When my husband got to my daughters school he checked in on her class and sure enough she was at her desk doing her work.

So this morning my husband walked her to the front door and watched her walk to her class but then she went to the cafeteria instead. That's why she was late for class on Monday. So he went in and walked her to her class. Her word "I promise to walk straight to class" won't work anymore so here we are going to walk her to class and deal with her independence another time.

I never want to get a message like that again from her school. My heart can't handle thinking my daughter went missing from school especially after a 7 year old boy went missing from one of our local elementary school last June. It's not something I want to hear from my daughters school that she didn't show up for school when she's supposed to be there. Take care, Peace!!

School is a Hit!!

So when my 5 year old Kindergartner came home from the first day of school she informed me school wasn't for her. She was not at all happy she had to work in school. She thought she would get to play like she did in Pre-School. It was a shock to her little system to say the least and she had enough of all this school business. That was it for her and no more school but I told her to give herself at least a week before she made up her mind about school.

Well it's been a week and each day the excitement of her day the moment she walks back in the door:
"Mom, they let me use a Computer today",
"Mom, they have a Music room"
"Mom, they sell Breakfast in the morning, can I eat there in the morning?"
"Mom, guess what, I can climb the rock wall in Gym class"
"Mom, they have a Library and I can check out books so you don't need to buy me books anymore"

I can go on and on. She loves school and gives me the low down each day about not making any friends yet. I'm glad she's enjoying herself but I'm not liking she only goes 2 1/2 hrs a day. I was shocked when I found this out when I registered her for school.

I'm impressed with her school so far and I don't have good trust when it comes to my children. If anyone is going to shrew up my children it will be me and my hubby not society. I'm very protective of them not to the point of sheltering them to death but making sure they have a strong moral and responsibility based on a good foundation. Life is yours for the taking and possibilities are endless but their is a way to do it without stepping on other people to do it. I will always teach my kids to work hard and not expect other people to just hand them things like entitlements. No one owes them anything.

I necessarily don't want my children to think like me neither but to learn to think for themselves and make up their own minds on matters that are important to them. I think my daughter will make lots of friends and she will be fine. Her curriculum for Kindergarten is a good program and her school so far is a good school. I wouldn't call it great but for a public school it's one of the good ones. In my own happy world I would have preferred my children went to a Private School because frankly they are much better but I'm not living in my happy world so Public School will just have to do.....for now!!

I enjoy her excitement and I love hearing her school stories. This year will be great!! Take care, Peace!!

Yes I am!!

My son has a speech delay due to tongue tie which we fixed last summer. We've been working on his "A" sound. He could say the sound "ah" but not "A" like the Fonzie from Happy Days. Tonight he finally said it with thumbs and all. He can do all his vowels..a,e,i,o,u!! The "A" sound is the hardest sound for kids to do so I'm so excited for him.

Well since last August and even in the last month he's been doing so well. He can kinda say his name. He's been calling his sister "Sissy" because he can't pronounce her name yet. He's been trying to speak in sentences and he has basic words down so he can let you know what he wants.

I'm kinda glad we caught this early and not passed it off as "he's just a boy..boys are slower than girls" because he needed help. He's loving his early intervention school. He just went on Summer break for a month today and goes back for July. Then has all of August off and in September he graduates to articulation classes until he goes to Pre-School. The Early Intervention Program will work with him until he doesn't need there services anymore and I appreciate that so much.

The daughter has one more week left of school herself. I can't believe she's almost done with Pre-School. It just seems like she just started school last September. She gets her school evaluation on August 11th to see what she knows before she starts Kinder garden. I told her it's to show them now brilliant she is. As much as I want to kick her out of the house for her education I'm kinda emotional about it. She's growing up so fast and I'm scrambling my brain of what she needs to know before she starts school like know her house address, my cell number, her dad's cell number, and don't go with a stranger under no circumstance etc... So much to learn and I keep wondering if she listens to me and how much I worry, I pray she will do the right things when I'm not with her. I just pray!!

I got some cool kids and they make me a proud momma!! Take care, Peace!!

Beautiful Day for a walk!!

My Son had his first day of school today. The daughter and I decided to walk the path of Nike Headquarters while he was in class.(Picture shown above is Nike) This picture doesn't do this place any justice. It's so nice and beautiful. We just decided to check out the paths surrounding this campus. We stopped and watched the ducks, went over bridges, and under tree covered paths. Don't tell anyone but my daughter even had her first pee break in the woods!! I'm going to take pictures next week because it's so beautiful. Why I never went to Nike before.....I just don't know!! Take care, Peace!!

Growing means starting school!!

Wow, two big leaps for my kids this week. I'm getting the papers to register the daughter for Kinder garden in the fall 2010 school year and the son starts his Early Intervention Speech Therapy school this coming Tuesday. The son will go to this school until he starts pre-school. Their School careers are on their way!!! My hubby and I started laughing we'll also be going back to school just to help out with the kids homework. We'll have to read a head in the kids text books just so we look smart to the kids..ha ha!! If they only knew!!! At least, we'll have the use of the Internet so the kids can look stuff up if we can't seem to understand something. I'm not so worried about their reading. I read books all the time and they have a library of books for them at home. We have books!!! I do want my kids to learn to grow up to be independent thinkers to hear both sides of the story and make up what they believe in. I want them to learn if they work hard they too can earn achievement. I really don't get the "we don't want anyone to feel left out and feel bad kind of thinking". Giving everyone a medal just for participating is only hindering the minds of the youth. The person who comes in first who worked hard to be first should get the award and the others..well try harder and next time you may come in first. There isn't any goal to strive to work hard. It's not giving the kids a goal to strive to do the best they can because they're going to get a medal anyway. I'm 35 years old so I could just be old school!! Who knows, maybe when my kids are getting ribbons, trophies, medals for participating I could change my tune. I probably send those trophies, medals and ribbons back to school because they are cluttering my house. I guess I'll have to wait and see how that way of teaching the youth of tomorrow really works. I just know not earning a trophy didn't hurt my ego or feelings as a kid. I just congratulated the person who did and then worked harder myself. I guess what I'm ranting about is I want to teach my kids they're not always going to come in first but if they work as hard as they are capable of then that's what matters. Be the best you can!! Take care, Peace!!

Dance here we come!

We took a tour of the Westside Dance and Gymnastics Academy this morning. I think the hubby and I were more excited then the daughter. She was able to participate in a class while we did the tour of the classrooms and got more information. The son wasn't all that happy the daughter got to have fun in the Gym with the other children and he was stuck with us. She looked like she was having fun and what's separation anxiety? She's like "see you later!" At least,she could pretend to miss me :( I'm actually glad she feels like that because when children get all emotional and you get emotional. It's like you're traumatizing your child when it should be something exciting and fun. I think we'll have more problems with the son when it's his turn for school. He's more the clingy kid then our daughter. She has no fear.

We finely had to go because the son was getting inpatient. He wanted to play in the gym so badly. Maybe when he's three we'll think about putting him in the three year old program. I wish I googled this school last year because we most likely would have put her in the school this school year. It's sounds and looks very interesting. I'm excited and I'm not the one going. The daughter felt comfortable and I know she will enjoy herself.

School doesn't start for her until the fall but we're thinking of enrolling her in a class or two plus they have fun activities to do on the side through out the year so we'll look into some of those. They also have summer dance programs like day schools. Lots of possibilities to think about. We got two free passes for their lunch program for children 6 and under so the son can go and have fun in the gym. I think he would like that and feel involved with his sister. He won't get stuck sitting on the sidelines watching all the other children having fun. Man, I'm going to have to find some more energy. It's going to be fun for her and what the future holds. Take care, Peace!

Preschool! and Please Donate..not to me but to St. Jude Children Research Hospital!

Well I think we decided where our oldest will be going to preschool in the fall 2009. I think it's crazy how we have to decide like in January like it's University or something. Tear! I can't believe my daughter is going to school in the fall. I remember when she was born and it doesn't seem that long ago. She's growing up so fast and oh my, I'm getting a little emotional...okay not really but it's exciting. The hubby and I found a preschool which is also a Dance Academy and I think our daughter will love it. She's into wanting to be a ballerina at the moment and she's even asking for point shoes....ha ha. I don't think so little girl!!!! It's hard telling a 31/2 year old about being a ballet dancer and it's like stabbing yourself with a fork over and over again because she doesn't care about having to train with lessons for years before she even can get into point shoes let alone care about talking to me about the ins and outs of lessons and practice. One of these days maybe she will listen to me. sigh!!!! So when January rolls around we will register her for this amazing school. I was actually surprised how much the school costs and is one of the reasons we choose it. It's in the higher range as far as preschools are concerned in our area but it's like a 2 in 1. She learns through excellence in education, dance and gymnastics. Everything we hoped for and more, plus the Gymnastic classes are USA gymnastics certified. Here So when you look at it like that it's actually cheaper. Dance classes are not cheap and neither is preschool. I could complain about preschool but I'm not going too. It's my birthday tomorrow and it's so close to Christmas. I don't want to ruin my Karma I have going on :) Jon and Kate plus 8 is having there Holiday special visiting St. Jude Children Research Hospital Here on Monday, December 15, 2008. It's a great cause and if you don't watch the show so who cares it's a nice cause so visit there site and maybe while you are there maybe you could donate to this wonderful charity to help: Finding Cures. Saving Children. A little goes along way. Take care, Peace! Goodnight!!!!

Racism!

I have been thinking about doing this entry for awhile and not that I was afraid to make my personal life known but I didn't think it was the right time. Here is a Newspaper clipping wrote from a School Board meeting I attended and spoke to express Racism in schools. Native teen tells stories of racism A native teenager, who was adopted and moved to (Town) when she was five, says she is emotionally scarred because of the way she’s been treated in school. DEG, 17, a Grade 12 student at (School) was one of four panellists who spoke at a day-long seminar Wednesday on multicultural, anti-racist education co-sponsored by the Multicultural Association of Nova Scotia and the (Blank) County district school board. "There was one experience I can never forget(in Grade Primary). I was swinging on the swing at school and a kid came up to me and pushed me off. He said "Indians are not allowed on the swings", he told me to go back to my teepee where I belong". D said in an emotionally charged speech. "At that point in my life, I knew I was different. I didn’t understand. I looked the same, I dressed the same, but I wasn’t the same. I had a different skin color," Incidents of racism at school had a serious effect on D, who says she later denied her native roots. (it actually has Metis roots here, but at the time to me with the knowledge I had on my history, I was full Native) "I drilled it into my head that I was white, I didn’t want to be different any more, I was afraid to tell people how I felt.....I was hurting and they didn’t know what I was going through." The name calling "gets to you," she said. D felt pain and anger and lost her self esteem. "I hated myself in general. "Now I realize how wrong I was....I I don’t want to feel like a victim any more...I want to get on with my life." D said she has come to accept who she is. "I am me and if people want to be prejudiced they can, because I am too good for them to hurt me." "There are people in this country who think they have the right to abuse people... but they are the ones who have the problems and should get help. I learned over my 17 years that it is OK to be myself and to live the life I want to live" I guess you are wondering why I haven't written names in my posts. It's more protecting my family in not concealing my identity. Stangers don't need to know my childrens names, see pictures of them or know the names of the people I talk about. In respect to them I'll never write their names on my blog. Racism is everywhere and it's not fair but that's life. We were all given "FREE WILL" so everyone's truths are different and we all see the world differently. Everyone is unique, special and no matter who you are..we are all human. It depends on how you want to look at the world. If anyone has any questions of what I've been writing so far just leave me an email. I will answer the good, bad and the crazy! Take care!!!