The first exams are here

Da face

To say that I am scared is an understatement. I am scared of Grade 4 exams. Grade 4 has been a culture shock, and we are still reeling.

How to cope with the first day back at school?

Holiday memories

This has been the longest school holidays ever! We did not do all the Johannesburg Staycation Wish-list things we wanted to, but it was awesome taking a break. The children are only going back to school tomorrow. It's already past the half-way mark of January.

We will miss the relaxed days of holidays, and not sticking to a fixed routine. Miss loves going to bed later, and sleeping until the sun is in the 9th hour quadrant already! We also love sleeping later (at least 30 minutes later), and not having to dodge the early morning traffic. Tomorrow it's a thing of the past! "Sigh!"

But, sticking to my "positive" word of the year, I have to grab this year by it's Grade 4 horns. Miss is apprehensive about this year, and after a school meeting with the prospective Grade 4 parents, we are also worried aware of the challenges! (Help!?)

So glad we took the time to watch the netball

Little Missy took part in her first tournament of netball at school yesterday.

We decided at the last minute to take the afternoon off to go and watch. I get only one afternoon a month, so I have to really plan around it! (The joys of being a working mother!)

She was extremely excited when she saw us coming to watch her.

They did not keep scores for the under six players, and it seems that the rules of the game are still not very clear to all of them.
But they had fun! Until some did not want to play any more, or they got hungry (our Little Missy!).

How you look after your goal post!

Pose

Team White walking in a line

Team White with their coaches for the day

I decided afterwards that I have to put in more effort to watch her sports! I will miss out on many highlights if I don't!

How do you plan around watching the sports when you are a working mother?

Meeting with the teacher

We finally made the appointment for a meeting with the teacher.

No, we can't just quickly pop in before or after school to talk to the teacher. It must be strictly by appointment. (If we had an opportunity to quickly ask how it was going, this would not have been necessary...)

I can understand that there are 24 children in the class and that it can be a bit hectic to accommodate each parent. In the meantime two months have passed in the new year, and we got some negative feedback from the Preschooler and it looked to us as if  GR R turned out to be a bit of a bummer.

We are very glad we had the meeting.
The teacher was a bit apprehensive about meeting with us. (She asked the Hubby before the time about the reason for the meeting.)
There was also another teacher sitting in in the meeting, taking notes and making some comments. (Apparently it is standard practise at the school.)

We took the stand that we do not get a chance to talk to the teacher, and our Little Missy seems a bit unsettled this year. Little Missy tells us that she wants to go back to the previous year's teacher and class. We wanted to know how she is doing in class? We also used the she-is-very-young-for-her-age-and-should-we-be-worried?-stance to address the issue.

That helped to break the ice.

We should not be worried at all!

Little Missy is doing very well in class:

•     She is actively involved in classes
•     She listens and tries on her own
•     She has different friends in class each time (This was an eye-opener. Great to hear it is not only the one girl any more.)
•     She only throws a tantrum when another child injures her. But it usually does not last long. (Phew!)
•     She asks for help sometimes, but then she goes and complete the task on her own.
•     She has a good report card coming up.
•     No, the teacher does not foresee that she would be told to stay back for another year because of her age. She is not struggling at all!

The classes are a bit more structured than the previous year, and the teachers say that they get used to the structure after a while and won't feel as unsure as they feel in the beginning.

I am glad we made the appointment! 

Photo by Dad this morning at school.

The outfit selected by Little Missy, and not by Mom/Dad.

GR R is a bit of a bummer this year

Little Missy was extremely excited about reaching this milestone! Being in Grade R!
She couldn't wait, and thought that this would be the ultimate place to be...

She has a new teacher who does not give them hugs, and does not even acknowledge the parents when they come to drop the kids off in the class.
The little ones still need their hugs, and they want to feel welcome in the mornings...
She is also very strict, according to Little Missy.

I suggested to Little Missy that she goes on her own accord to give the teacher a hug, but she does not feel comfortable enough to do it.

She has been telling me frequently that she does not want to go to school. She would rather go with us to our workplaces! She also has a frequent stomach ache. Things that she did not say or feel the previous years.

They apparently also have to work very hard, and she was upset last week when she was sick and she could not go to school. She was going to miss out on the class work and the friends are going to laugh at her. (Her words)

Little Missy loved doing colourful pictures, but this year there was a bit of regression and we are not seeing the same bright pictures than we did last year. (The pictures are getting better, but it is still lacking that passion. Or is it a phase?)

I don't know how long I should wait before I go and talk to the school?
Maybe the teacher should be given a chance to find her feet? (It is her first year of teaching.)

How long should I wait?


Related posts:

- Grade R, bring it!

- Stories by The Toddler

Wordless Wednesday #209 - First day in Gr R

Grade R, bring it!

Grade R has been the ultimate ultimate goal for our Little Missy!
She has been bugging and dreaming about the elusive Grade R for decades years!

It is finally in sight when they start at the primary school next week.

We went and bought the sport clothes, the only uniform she is going to have to wear this year.
And apparently only on Tuesdays or when they tell us to.

She was very excited!

I had to ask for the smallest size, and it still looks a bit big!

She is ready!

Choosing iPads for your school - Fraser Speirs

Fraser Speirs with Michelle Lissoos

I am passionate about iPads in schools. Especially since I have seen what children are able to do with the iPad, and the yearly iPad in Education Awards which are totally awesome!

(I do not get an iPad for saying this!
I just love LOVE my own iPad2, wishing I have the most recent one! - Hint-hint, Universe!)

 I really hope my child's school will incorporate it in their learning programme. Apparently they have a three year plan in place! I have been one of the parents asking, again and again!

Fraser Speirs toured South Africa recently, made possible through the iStore. His claim to fame is that he is involved with the first school in the world that incorporated iPads 1:1 in their school. He has a background in software development and systems administration, and has been involved daily in the classroom.

I attended a session as part of a roadshow at Kingsmead School on 12 September, where Michelle Lissoos, Head of Think Ahead, introduced him. They provide the iPad solutions to schools, from pre-primary to higher education. They have flexible iPad solutions available, which addresses budget vs vision issues. A mobile lab is one way of introducing iPads to a school learning environment.

ZA Books is the text book store for iPad. It is not only about text books, but a sure way to start on the iPad route in a school.

Education app guides are available for primary and secondary education. Schools also starts with working with a core set of apps, which helps a lot with implementation.

They have made a 12 months interest free finance plan available to schools for buying iPads, and there are different purchase plans to match schools financials.

Fraser Speirs about their 1:1 implementation at Cedars School of Excellence in Greenock, Scotland:

 "Technology must always be subservient to goal of education to be effective!"

- Internet research is available in class to everybody.
- Everyone challenged on a level that suits them.
- 100% more engagement in the class.
- Some statistics:
       - 50,000,000,000 connected devices by 2025
       - 7 connected devices per person on planet
       - The world is already 1:1
- They spent 11 years to get their teachers to use technology.
- iPads with 10 hour battery, 9.7" screen, 1.5 pounds changed the scenery.
- They have found the "sweet spot" in usability, where they have adaptability to most tasks - Tasks of medium to moderate complexity.
- Bringing your own device is not a good idea, with the following issues:
       - big players are going vertical in mobile
       - "Equally bad everywhere" problem
       - "School uniform" problem - devices should be all the same.
- They are hiding the integration cost in cost of staff effort.
- The Web is Not Enough! any more.
- Technology is as accessible as paper.
- Different stages for different individuals / learners.
- Not an ICT project, but about improving education! They are even going into the gym.
- The teacher training programme starts with:

      "It's essential that the teachers live with the iPad" 

- The way of using it in the classroom: Research, synthesize and give back to teacher with the use of apps.
- They have a remedial for children coming from other schools in place.
- The stats show consistent better results!
"Students in iPad classes outperformed every other student!"
- They have put their curriculum on iTunesU. Found it to be very useful!
- During exams they deliberately use iPads less to put in exercises where students have to write for longer periods of times.
- They use Showbie for assessments which can be annotated by the teacher.
- Google Drive also very effective.
- Student teachers are not getting technology teaching > only 1 day in training > major issue ( in Scotland).
- 2% damage and failure over a year > 7 were damaged or failed. 0% stolen and 0% lost! (where Android devices have a 40% failure rate!)
- The right case to protect corners and closes cover of screen. (Important!)
- Ownership > school owns the entire set with a lease for 3 years. It stays with the kid, but if kid leaves, it stays behind.
- Everything begins with the leaders in the school! The head teacher and deputies should be there when introducing and starting an iPad programme.
- Some apps that are great to use: Showbie, Explain everything - whiteboard, Book creator, Adobe Reader, PDF creator
- How to get parents on board? Built cost of deployment in school fees. Parent information evenings, and explaining the educational validity. Today a whole lot more of information to convince parents. University if Holland did a very favourable research study.
- Wi-fi issues and density of use can crop up > performance issues > the solution is to have enough base stations.

It is very exciting times!

Poll - How many dads read the newsletters from school?

Do you find that mothers are the only ones making sure that the newsletters are read?
Are mothers the ones that are checking in with the school's calender?
Are mother's the ones that make sure they keep tab on what is happening on a day-to-day in the child's life and classroom?

Has this changed at all?
I would love to hear how it is done now! I will give feedback here. I will keep it open for a week, until Friday the 14th of June.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.


Results here:

Who reads those school newsletters?