[cybele727]

I live near Buffalo, NY. ( btw- it was 62 today- no snow!!- last year towns to the south of us got 7 feet in 10 hours. )

Generally I think a teacher putting make up on Kindergarteners is bad.

We also live in a super diverse area in every way you can imagine. Poverty to million dollar homes. Skin tone of every shade. 40 home languages. Name a religion, we’ve got it.

The entire school is about 45% English language learners. 30% of our school receives free breakfast and lunch. Many of these kids have horrible hygiene and healthcare. Some are refugees. The cultural mix is extreme.

Third world standards on one extreme, college professors, doctors, and lawyers on another. We live near a large university.

But putting on nail polish or makeup on Kinders when you have kids with illnesses untreated or people whose religions prohibit it isn’t cool. And then there is the allergy factor.

Generally if you are going to apply chemicals on a kid, you should have permission. In NY the law requires a permission slip for sun screen, lip balm, or even moisturizer- if applied by the school. It is a medical slip that the state requires. So make up is a huge NO. Also studies show that nail polish chemicals are disrupting endocrine systems.

From a personal perspective, this teacher reinforces ideas that girls primp and boys play. This isn’t a lesson I want my child to learn.

So I don’t really object to make up when the time is right. For me 5 is not the right time. Nor is reinforcing gender stereo types. That’s just me though.

[Tamara]

@cybele727 its often the most painful when the relationship with school fractures or is damaged in someway, especially when you are a parent that is “on the front” so to speak. I did that too until this year. I stepped back mainly because of the baby but also because I’d had enough of the complaints from school about my kids and being hauled into the office. You do row hard as a parent but it takes a very special relationship to be made with school staf who will actually understand that you are busting your gut to grow wonderful people the community can count on.

There were fires in the south if our state near a farming community called Esperance. There were four people who unfortunately lost their lives. One was a local farmer, who actually went to boarding school with my husband. So my poor Murray is grieving for a school mate while we are embarkng on becoming boarding school parents ourselves.

Thankyou so much @Sarvi for your very kind words. She is very excited now that the interview is over. Today is the orientation day where she will buddy up with a boarder who is currently year 7 (like she is) and she will shadow this girl all day. She is mostly looking forward to actually making a group of friends. This has been the greatest challenge all through her schooling and she did ask the Principal about the bullies at the school – thankfully we already talked about this before and the principal basically reoeated what I had already told her, that they have very strict policies on how to treat each other with the respect that they deserve and to speak out if something like this is happening.

I had the information evening last night and I think they were trialling the method differently. We were put into groups according to our daughters’ house colours and given a timetable. Then we had to go around the campus to five minute “classes” where the heads of the department and year groups gave their little talk. I have to say it was far more engaging for us as parents as we actually got to chat to each other as the girls would be.

Afterwards we met in the performing arts centre foyer and had the chance to chat some more and ask questions.

Today, we get to have lunch with the girls in the boarder’s dining room and then they can resume the afternoon of classes.

It’s 6.30am so we have to get started with the day. Imogen has to wear her current sports uniform but we are both really glad to finally get rid of it i. Exchange for a pretty blue one.

[cybele727]

I am sorry for Murray’s loss. And you are embarking on an exciting time. A part of me simply cannot imagine sending a child to boarding school and another part of me is all…sign me up!! 🙂 Depends on how tired I am suppose.

We are definitely on the front of this issue. This teacher is a 20 year veteran and all we heard was, “Oh you will LOVE her she’s so much fun.” When my husband was at boyscouts he mentioned that we were having issues, and one of the parents said that he had heard of her. This father said that you either love her or hate her. He said the haters were afraid to express their concerns because everyone else LOVES her. I know the mom down the street was so angry about the nail polish that she talked to me about withdrawing her kids and homeschooling them. Her daughter isn’t allowed to have polish and tried to hide her hands when she got off the bus. My neighbor was so disturbed that a teacher/authority figure would do something that her daughter felt the need to hide and lie about.

Thankfully, the principal and I have come to a place where we can communicate. For that I am grateful. We actually like each other and could go out for drinks!

Because of that crazy diversity, our school works really hard on creating a welcoming community with tons of communication between home and school. Part of the problem with the Kinder teacher is her welcoming warm cozy atmosphere has run amok and been clouded by poor judgment. If that atmosphere works for other children and parents that’s

Today we had my son’s parent teacher conference. She asked how Gigi’s was. I said it was cancelled. She was surprised and I said, “Gigi may not stay in that class.” She smiled at me and said, “We talked about this before. I can’t imagine how they could have assigned her there knowing you as well as they do. I am not surprised that you need to switch.”

OH well, we will see what the meeting with the principal brings. I can’t imagine that after my hubby’s email to the principal and her discussion with the teacher that there is a relationship that can be salvaged.

In any event, I am happy to hear that you are finding a way to solve your school problems. They are never fun.

[Tamara]

Oh I’m so sorry I haven’t read your post above. My hubby has just texted me to say that a neighbouring farmer to us was killed in a head on collision at a town we pass through to go to Perth. I’m a bit teary because it happened the day we went to Perth and just after we passed the town. I am so very sad! Two valued farmers gone in one week! His wife was the physiotherapist in town until they had to downgrade her time and she had to move for work. He was probably either going down or coming home again.

[Tamara]

@cybele727 it is certainly not a decision we made lightly but when you witness a leaving class of just one student at your school you do tend to sit up and think do you want this for your child? Because of the many many issues we have faced at this school, we also had to face the facts that our kids would not have the opprotunities that they could have. And without sounding like a total snob or anything, the last thing I want for my daughters is to have aspirations of working in the local supermarket upon leaving school. This is not a career, but a job and one they could have part time during their highschool years in Perth where there are many choices of workplaces to choose from.

Even moreso, it is a very expensive exercise, yet we are paying for quality education where the girls are happy well rounded individuals. The chance to actually have a social group is one that was high on my list. I grew up outside a town where there was limited transport so getting to school socials etc was something my parents had to drive me to – and they wouldn’t! Here, socials happen once a term (oh woopee!) there is literally nothing for the kids and so they turn to the more socially unacceptable types of activities – again something we choose to avoid.

It will still have challenges we get that but we will also have the support for Imogen (and when it is her turn, Chloë) and that is what we really require and need.

[cybele727]

Oh dear I am sorry. Another loss. I am sorry.

And you don’t sound like a total snob. I think we all want better or more for our children. I think that’s part of my issue. I want my daughter (and son) to believe that they can become anything if they have the skill and their genders don’t limit them.

We all try to do what is best for our children.

[Sarvi]

On a non-school-related note, what the heck is up with the heat wave in Sydney! Is that normal for this time of year?

[Sherry]

Oh Sarvi, it was a scorcher. Its just summer coming a bit early, we usually have high 30″s and only a week or two thru the summer in the 40″s. Roll on autumn I say, it does look like we could have a bad bushfire season and not just in NSW. Western Australia has had some very severe fires already. Today its only in the 20’s so time to catch up on housework and getting things done for christmas before the heat returns.

[with love Heidi]

It can often get quite hot at this time of year. It’s part way through the end of year 12 exams in Australia. There’s always at least one or more really hot days to go with exams 🙂

[Sarvi]

Gosh, what a crazy year for weather it’s shaping up to be! Here in LA it’s so dry all the kids are getting nosebleeds, and yet we’re on track to have epic storms. So weird!

[Tamara]

Sarvi, it is just what we in the west have been experiencing! We seem to get it first but by the time it gets east, it’s made world news and you see people looking as they are dying from the heat ( well it isn’t really a laughing matter because they forget to hydrate themselves and end up in emergency departments across the city with severe dehydration. When there are heatwaves in Europe we often hear of people dying from dehydration because they are just not used to drinking so much to stay hydrated).

Where we are we are not immune to temps in the mid 40’s celsius. When it hits 40 degrees c in Melbourne for example you know all about it! There is not even elbow room at the beach! My sil says they start wilting when it hits 30 even!

Last summer our hottest day was 49 degrees c in the SHADE! We actually brought Chloë home from hospital that day.

Usually a very very hot summer means good winter rains but not this year. It has been dry everywhere!

I have fingers and toes crossed the el nino knicks off and brings us back a normal season because we absolutely need the rain to come in spades next year (at the right times of course).

[Tamara]

Well, it was just so nice to sleep in my own bed and have a decent night’s sleep after the past few days of being away.

We had an amazing introduction to life at our new school. The interview was wonderful. The new Principal is a great asset.

The parent information evening was fantastic! We weren’t sitting there listening to head’s of departments drone on about what their subject entails. We were split into groups according to our daughter’s houses and sent around the campus having five minute mini lessons. This in itself was great because we as the parents got to chat along the way (as the girls do going to classes). It was the first year they were trying anything like this and from all accounts it was a raving success!

I have already spoken with the school psychologist in charge of her year group regarding my concerns over her academic issues (homework and study skills that are non existent) and she and I are going to chat before the new school year begins to iron out any wrinkles.

The orientation day was very successful on all accounts with Imogen. She practically bounced from the car, forgetting to say goodbye and I was going down the road murmuring that she didn’t say see ya and tearing up – just like the first day of kindergarten! We caught up for lunch in the boarder’s dining room though where she introduced me to her buddy who is a farmer’s daughter closer to Perth and shares the same interests as Imogen. She has been boarding all this year and upon being asked what she thought of boarding, the reply was it was “heaps fun!” – a good sign me thinks!

We had a very good chat with two other new mothers after lunch and we discussed our reasons for going private. Their girls will be day girls but they are excited for the boarding girls from all the information they have heard. It was just so nice to meet like minded parents who were so positive.

It actually helped me to focus on this exciting time in our girl’s life rather than the horrible events of the week. But I wished Murray was there with me also. We haven’t had the greatest year on the farm. Its been so dry and our harvest is not plentiful. But we are thankful we have one because we’d be in even more of a dilemma had it failed!

I have to drag him kicking and screaming to the sundowner even if he makes it once a year. He needs this as much as everyone else. To be amongst other people in the industry dropping their girls to school and networking and making friends through our children, would be something of a stress reliever. He might actually look forward to going and doing the pick up drop off run for that very reason. I would like to think that anyway.

The new parents of boarding girls get to have a sleep over on the weekend before school goes back so I need to find a farm sitter now for it to happen. It will be our chance to have fun too. It is just so different to the stories I have been told about boarding schools.

Such exciting times ahead, I cannot think of anything else but these because it makes me happy to think that we have definitely made the perfect choice and that we have finally found the perfect educational fit for our girls. In two years time it will be Noah’s turn and we will find out about the school he will be attending and I am excited by that also.

Oh and little Chloë did her stand alone trick again yesterday. This time she had my car keys in one hand and a biscuit in the other and was just standing there not leaning against the coffee table or anything, while the older people in the family were making strange excited noises! She eventually sat down while giving all of us strange looks as if to ask what our problem was. Not even 11 months old! My two older ones didn’t even try this until after a year!

[cybele727]

Wow. This sounds wonderful. I hope it works out for you.

We’ve gone from a balmy 60 to expecting some light wet snow over a 72 hour period. This is the way of our fall.

Our meeting went well with the principal. Our daughter is being switched after winter break. I’m even more certain after she said some offhand things in the car today. It is only about 14 class days until then.

So new year, new experiences. 🙂

[Tamara]

That’s brilliant @cybele727. Here’s to happier educational experiences for all of us!😀

[Anonymous]

No heat here, I’m glad to say. We’ve had snow twice (none has stayed around). We put the winter blanket on the bed last night. So cozy.