An interesting gift
Now that the school year is over, here are some things for all you parents to ponder over the summer…
1. Don't send your kid to school with wads of cash. A kid offered me $10 one day. Just because. Later, when I asked, she insisted that she did NOT bring money to school. Confused? So was I. I let that one go. Then I found out they were buying and selling things from each other. That's one of those times when I have a "where-do-I-even-go-from-here" moment.
As for necessary money, put it in an envelope and write "Lunch Money" on it for goodness sakes. Kids hand me money saying, "This is lunch money" and I often wonder what I'm supposed to do with it. Truthfully, the school doesn't give me that kind of power. I have no control over your child's lunch account. This kind of thing is above my security clearance (My security clearance begins with a copier code and ends with a building key.)
2. Label. Label, label, label. Everything I give to kids has their name or classroom number on it. Textbooks, workbooks, notebooks, crayons, etc. Everything I own that they have access to, like paperbacks, has my name on it. Trust no one.
3. Teach your kid your phone number. If you do anything for your children, please do this. It might save their lives someday.
This is a verbatim conversation, but I have one a lot like it about once a week.
Me: What number do I call?
Kid: My mom's.
Me: What is it?
Kid: …..
Me:…..
Kid: She's at work.
Me: Where does she work?
Kid: (long pause) With my dad.
Me: Where does your dad work?
Kid: (long pause) I don't know.
Me: ……okay. So what would you do if you were lost somewhere and needed to call someone? Who would you call?
Kid: My mom.
Me: What number would you call?
Kid: My sister would call. She has it in her phone.
Me: There's no sister. Just you. What would you do?
Kid: Walk to my mom's work.
Me: Where does mom work?
Kid: With my dad.
Me: Where does dad work?
Kid: …I forget.
4. Back to the labeling…Write your kid's full name and his/her teacher's name on all correspondence, please. There were approximately 1,000 students in my last school. When you send in a note for a bus pass that just has a first name, no bus number, and I can't read it because it's in loopy cursive, I have to rewrite the note so the office will understand it. That's time I'm not teaching. You're taking away from your child's education.
5. Coats are important. Especially during November, December, January, February, and March. Also, high heels: Not a good idea for 8 year olds.
Signed,
A teacher
