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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

It starts with a B, has a C in it and ends with a slap

Pookie is still trying to adjust to middle school. Being airheaded as she is, it's obviously not easy to get used to changing classes and having to remember which books she needs out of her locker, and having to be responsible. As a result, her grades have started to slip. She has an agenda. All the kids have one. The teachers have a huge calendar on a white board where they write all the assignments, usually for a week at a time. The kids are supposed to copy this down into their agendas. It's usually only maybe 8 or 9 words at most, for each class. The agenda is then brought home, looked over by the parent and signed. That way we know if there was homework, or a quiz, or if the teacher needed to send a note home, they usually write it right in the agenda, to make sure it gets home.

This is not something new. This has been going on since the 2nd grade when we moved to this school district. However, what -is- new is the fact that it now counts as a grade. If it is not filled in or signed by the parent, it is a 0. If it is, it's 100. Every week.

My Pookie has gotten straight A's for the most part since starting school, with little to no effort on her part. She soaks up knowledge like a sponge and then spews it out at, sometimes, the worst moments ... but she learns it, nonetheless. She's gotten a couple B's, but they have never been below a 90.

So far this year, she has a low low low B average in 2 of her classes, and a C ... a stinking C ... IN BAND. How do you get a C in Band, you might ask? Why, by not showing up for lunchtime practice. All she had to do was show up.

So, I have checked out Edline and seen what is bringing her grades down. Wanna know why she has low grades? Anyone that has been with me on this blog for the last year or so .. say it with me. "She forgot to turn her work in and she forgot to fill in her agenda."

It's not that she doesn't DO the work. She just forgets to take it with her, get it out of her binder and hand it to the teacher. And now ... NOW .. the agenda counts as a grade as well.

So, I called her away from the drawing frenzy she had been in for a few hours and asked her, quite calmly I might add, "Why for is it that you are getting zeros for your agenda, dear daughter of mine, when all you have to do is write a few words in each class and then bring it to your loving mother who will happily sign it with a flourish and a smile?"

My darling daughter, with a very solemn face, replied, "Why mother, it is because my hand crampeth mightily when I have to write."

This from the girl who can draw for hours on end, or play her online RPG with friends for hours without the slightest twinge of pain, but yet 8 words give her writer's cramps.

Seriously?

So, I replied to this with, "Really? You're gonna stand there and tell me you have writer's cramp from writing a total of roughly 32 words in your agenda a day? That has got to be the LAMEST excuse I have ever heard."

The little twirp was standing there trying to keep a straight face during all of this, so I thought I'd help her out with that. I told her that if I get one more report that she's gotten a zero on her agenda that not only will she lose all computer privileges, as well as all drawing materials and all books (which would be horrifying enough for her), but I will also be coming to her school the following Monday, when I'm off and can dedicate the whole day to embarassing my daughter, at the start of every class to stand beside her desk and hold her hand while she copies the stuff off the board and into her agenda. Not only will I stand there, but I will announce to the entire class that I am there because my daughter can't seem to do what she's supposed to do without her mommy there to help her.

Now, knowing her mother as she does, the thought was rather horrifying for her, I believe. Because she knows I'll do it. And I'll embarrass her in front of everyone she knows, as well as a lot of people she doesn't, because I don't care what those other kids think ... my daughter is not going to slack off and get away with it. I'm just nice like that :)

So, we'll see how she does from now on. lol

In other news, someone called about the last kitten today ... and then proceeded to keep me on the phone for 30 minutes, telling me all about her life, her husband and her kids. She's 21, he's 27, they have 3 kids, all a year apart, and another one on the way. He's in school, she's a stay at home mom. They just moved to the area, etc., and then at the end of the conversation, asked if it was okay if she kept my number, because I seem nice and she'd like to talk to me more sometime and maybe hang out. I kinda laughed and said, sure if you wanna hang out with an old lady. She said, and I quote, "Oh I don't care, my mom is 42 and I love hanging out with her."

Just what everyone wants to hear from some young thing. Oh, you're almost as old as my mother.

I'm gonna deliver the cat to her, 'cause she's just across town.

And then I'm gonna slap her.

3 comments:

for a different kind of girl said...

You're singing my song, lady. Every school day since fifth grade (when my son first got an assignment book) we've reminded him that teachers post the day's work on the board, and that is for him to copy so we know what needs done or even what was done, and every night since fifth grade, we've had a discussion about the fact his assignment book is often empty. Or! Or! He'll fill it out with such gibberish, even HE can't tell us what needs done! I just pray I get him to graduation one day!

Crazy Charm said...

I never used to go to band practice. I think I knew then that I would never see my clarinet again after high school, or even know where it is for that matter.

And you're very nice to humor that girl. Watch out though, with four kids at 21, she's probably looking for someone to dump her little angels on.

Paige Lacey said...

Hahahaha. I wanna watch.