[netmilsmom]

Last year my daughter started Kindergarten at a charter school. The list of supplies cost 30.00 (including baby wipes, Clorox desk wipes, 3 bags of candy and Tissues). She was accepted to another, closer charter. We were again given a list totaling 35.00 including all of the above, juice boxes and snacks. Three children came mid-year to this class and did not even bring pencil boxes.

This year we started with the same list. I got my daughter the new cool eraseable colored pencils and put her name on every one. I told the teacher that they were hers and no one was to take them. The teacher didn't know what to say.

When we made the decision to homeschool before Christmas, I was in the class for the party. Six of her eight colored pencils were in the Community Box (the name was scratched out).

Between the other children in the classes and the Greek school that used the class at night (and borrowed the student's supplies), I figured I spent 150.00 for the two years.

Now we have a giant box of crayons and six #2 pencils for both girls.

[AppyPappy]

My wife told the teacher "If a child doesn't have supplies, let me know and I'll get them for the child. But don't take my child's stuff". That fixed it.

[RightField]

I'm glad to hear your homeschooling efforts are going well. I remember a few weeks back when you were first thinking in that direction. Kudos to you for your decision.

[luckystarmom]

At our school, the kids have items that they share, and items that they don't share.

If it can fit into a pencil box in their desks, then it's theirs. If it's big like kleenex and the baby wipes, the teacher stores those and they use one or two boxes in the classroom.

They also share pencils because there is not a good pencil sharpener. The teacher keeps sharpened ones in a box, and the kids just take what they need and put back the unsharpened ones.

[eyespysomething]

Hey Netmilsmom! Remember yesterday when I said that we have gotten the letter in the mail from the school re:absences and blah blah blah, and you told your amazement that they wouldn't accept a note from a parent as an excused absence?

My hubby went and met with the (get this) Attendance Officer at the school this a.m. He taped the whole thing, but gave me some highlights:

First they said his tardies were just a few, then 1/2 hour later they were excessive.

They offered to take some of the absences off, my husband said NO, he was absent, it was the policy that was the problem.

They apologized that we are being held to the same standard as "lying" parents. He told them he had no problem being held to the same standard, it was the standard that was the problem.

One more tardy, and 2 more absences without a DR's note this year (4 months to go) and they will issue an arrest warrant for my husband. I'm still trying to figure out the law they will be arresting him under. Oh yeah, the we-know-what's-best-for-your-kids-and-will-force-it-on-you-at-gunpoint law.

Hubby went to the sheriff's dept yesterday (he is good friends with them) and told them if they came and tried to take our son, he was coming out blazing (he was kidding, since he knows them, but they agree at the Sheriff's Office that it is ridiculous, the Sheriff laughed and laughed, and they want out of having to do this with the school. It seems they have more important things to do)

He got all this on tape, which, being a newspaper man, he pops out at the beginning, sits it on the desk, and says "You don't mind if I tape this do you?" Hee hee.

His editorial on the whole issue begins next week. It will focus on how the school will not let parents determine if a child is sick enough to go to school, that their notes from home are not proof enough to the BOE that the child was sick. In otherwords, they DO NOT trust the parents with their own kids.


Anyway, we are closer and closer to homeschooling. Are you happy with how its going?

[Sloth]

Six of her eight colored pencils were in the Community Box (the name was scratched out).

I would've been torn between 1.) retrieving the pencils, or 2.) stuffing them down the teacher's throat.

[Mrs. Xtrmst]

Welcome to the wonderful world of homeschooling! It's not just an education, it's an adventure.