There has got to be a quote about days of dicontent….because really…come ON!
The world apparently is collapsing about our ears.
Instead of worrying about nitty gritty daily life things, we really should be buying guns and stockpiling the supplies….according to our markets and insane people running for the various governments.
Both Canada and the US have a federal election.
I have already voted. Popped into the advance voting. Yes. My mind was THAT made up.
And while I am NOT that impressed with the party I voted for…The NDP….I want a minority government and Layton’s stance on issues close to my heart has come the closest to what I am looking for.
I like Dion…but unless he totally cleaned house of the old school Liberals hanging out….that is a lot of history and corruption hanging behind him. He may have new visions for the party…but there is a lot of baggage being dragged behind him.
I think Elizabeth May is great…and in a few years the Green Party will be a force to be reckoned with.
Stephen Harpers hair must be stopped.
Now I feel I should be running in the civic elections….for the School Board at least. I have tried to contact Vision Vancouver about my concerns about block voting– they haven’t bothered responding to me. Guess I won’t be voting for any of them this go around.
Would anyone vote for a feisty stay at home mom running as an independant???
We are STILL fighting about what to do about Adam and his class ‘issues.’
I had about as much luck as these parents at Queen Elizabeth annex in trying to get hold of Superintendant Chris Kelly at the Vancouver School Board. I have now been passed onto a Associate Superintendant.
I ain’t holding my breath.
The principal at the school is hoping that a chat with the teacher will alleviate all my fears.
Being that that didn’t work when she was Adam’s kindergarten teacher….I doubt it.
We just want him away from her.
We also want to know how having the Grade One’s split in with the FULL day Kindergartners without EXTRA staff ensures a fair education for our children above the needs of the special need kids in that class.
One child is already gone.
Another parent is like me and trying to get their daughter moved to the annex.
We are on a wait list…will no more on Friday…maybe. We are not even given priority.
School and School Board don’t want to deal. Too much politics involved.
And there is my son…stuck in the middle.
On top of that….I am boggled by what they are teaching my kid. Boggled.
While they seem to do fine with the ‘basics’….whatever materials they are using for the basis of their projects is totally inappropriate.
Today he was wearing a little paper hat. I was a decorated headband with coloured paper feathers on it. I asked what it was.
Adam said it was his ‘Indian’ hat.
For Thanksgiving.
To go with the pictures of the ‘PILGRIMS’ that they were colouring the other day.
So not only politically incorrect..but based on AMERICAN history.
I really really get the homeschooling thing.
I was always prepared to homeschool if I had to…..I have a feeling we may be getting to that point.
THIS is what our kids are learning in Vancouver schools.
THIS is CANADIAN social studies.
I was always led to believe that our Thanksgiving was more to do with the harvest and found this too…no pilgrims.
I think I posted about this last year when he was in kindergarten…and oh look..he is doing the SAME thing again with the same teacher.
I wonder what the rest of the class is doing. The one’s that were split with Grade two.
Hmmm.
Oh and yeah…we have been asked to fill a little zip lock baggie for Adam in case of an earthquake. It is called a ‘Comfort Kit.’
It is supposed to have water, kleenex, garbage bag, snack, activity, a family photo and a reassuring letter from mom and dad.
…..
One good thing though.
With all this stuff going on..it is sure helped me deal with any anxiety I have had about talking to people and phones.
I am still avoiding my neighbours…but that is mainly because I don’t want to share any of my life with these people.
But for my family and friends…watch out!!!
Raul says
Good post Kerry 🙂 It’s SO important to vote!
Rauls last blog post..Restaurant review – The Kings Head (Kitsilano)
Violet The Verbose says
Holy crapoly – I hope you can get him away from that teacher. That is beyond sad that he’s coming home with politically incorrect, Americanized Thanksgiving projects, AND sucky that he’s doing the same stuff again with the same teacher – you’d think she’d at least have a two or three-year change of ideas.
My daughter’s school does the earthquake kit thing too, though it’s all food, 1 bottle of water and the note/pictures from mom & dad. They didn’t mention putting in an activity or garbage bag, though if they’re stuck at school they’ll have more than enough activities there, I should think.
Good luck with it all and keep reporting… I hope the school stuff moves along. How frustrating to be stuck in the mire.
Violet The Verboses last blog post..Nothing But the Tooth
Scattered Mom says
Don’t accept “we can’t do that” or “no” as an answer. The squeaky wheel gets the grease…or more like the screaming parent gets the job done. 🙂
Been there, done that, have the t-shirt. It really is no fun. Don’t back down or be intimidated, it’s parents that make the difference.
Keep makin’ noise, and just get LOUDER and go further up the ladder if they won’t listen.
‘Indian’ hat? You’re kidding! Omg our First Nations community would be really, really angry-and rightfully so!
Scattered Moms last blog post..Menu Plan Monday
SmalltownRN says
I guess that teacher didn’t bothers to do her “homework” on Canadian Thanksgiving. That is apalling and just one more thing that you can use to promote change.
I think if you have already comtemplated home schooling it might not be a bad idea to explore it a bit more. I am really becoming a advocate for it….our school system is letting our children down horribly….dollars are being spent all wrong…..the system is faced with challenges…I recognize that. I have had many a debate with a dear friend about children with special needs being integrated into the school system. Although, there might be a place…the dollars to support such initiatives comes out of the shcool budget as a whole….then you have your language components….parents want as you pointed out the school system to provide madarin as a language class….where on earth do these parents think all the money is to come from?
No one wants to pay more taxes….have you ever looked at how budgets are designed….there are capital and operating components, and never the two shall meet….if you have extra dollars in Capital you can’t put into operating….it’s spend it or lose it…and no school is ever going to give back money to the school board. So we have our lunch programs that many take advantage of, your ESL classes, then you need money for your class room aides to help with the special needs children, then you have your resource teachers who are suppose to be there to help children who are having difficulties with the basics of school. We haven’t even touched on the socio economic backgrounds of the families.
People assume every one comes from the same socio economic background…guess what they don’t….lots of children come to school hungry because mom or dad or both have drank the money away or used it for drugs…many come to school in their PJ’s, children have a gaurdian who is a prostitute….or parents/guardians who barely made it to grade 8….so how are they suppose to be role models for their children? How can they help their child with math problems or spelling when they can’t do it themselves….so what happens…the school picks up the tab….and so it goes…
There are no clear answers to the problems that plague the school system….we all want to be the best advocate for our child as possible. But when there is only so much cake to go around and no means for making more how do you feed them all?
SmalltownRNs last blog post..What do these have in common…..