This is it. The weekend (long) before school starts. For many in other parts of the continent and world, school has begun already and thanks to the miracle of the internet we get to see and share our traditions and expectations. I have to admit I am a tad envious of the kids and families who seem to have an exciting first day of school that they memorialise in photos. Kids in their new school clothes, shiny backpacks on….ready to go.
In fact, here in the VSB, the first days of school are a bit of an anticlimax and to be frank a bit of a stressful let down. Thanks to years of declining student enrolments, the first day of school is nothing more than attendance taking with their previous teacher in their old classroom.
Then we wait. We wait while the teachers decide where our kids are going to go based on numbers and what they hope works for the kids and themselves. It is not fun – for the teachers, the kids or the parents. I love showing up at the end of the first FRIDAY after school starts to find out if my kid is happy or devastated by where they have been placed. We have experienced both.
We also have a new Principal this year that we have not met, who I am sure is finding this time as stressful as us parents. Since I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her yet, I was lucky to chat via email with Celina Mau, Principal of David Oppenheimer Elementary School to share her thoughts on the back to school process.
1. September Class Organization
- My staff and I, if at all possible, work towards reducing the # of days students are in their last year’s classroom. Friday is often our target date to move students into their new class.
- The rationale for the 2 days of ‘holding’ is to ensure that a school does not require to re-organize due to either an increase/decrease of student enrolment. Based on my experience, it is often a ‘lose-lose’ scenario if a school needs to re-organize due to reduction of students since the June count. This often means letting go of a teacher and reducing a full enrolling class. Similar protocol applies if a school needs to add a class. If students were already in their new class, then there would be many students being moved from one class to another, thus causing major disruptions and upsets throughout the whole school. Hence, the strategy to avoid this is to take the first few days of school opening to finalize the student count/class organization prior to putting all students into new class for the school year.
2. Student Placement
- With respect to placing students in classes, I often invite parents to participate in the placement process and it’s announced in the spring school newsletters. Parents are invited to complete the Placement Request Form and submit it to me. The forms are shared with the teachers so as to facilitate the placement process. This collaborative, transparent communicative process has helped both the school and parents, thus ensuring that our students are placed in the best possible class environment for the year.
- Besides the paper request, parents are always welcome to speak with their child’s classroom teacher to share their thoughts on placement and to consult with possible placement.
- Although the consultative process does not guarantee that all parent requests are met, staff does make every effort to consider these requests and weigh out the ‘pros & cons’ looking at striking a balance for each class based on our school’s placement criteria such as gender, student needs, behaviour, friendship, a match between student learning style & teaching style, etc.
Our school did not do a ‘Placement Request Form,’ but I know the teachers all work very hard together trying to find the right fit for students that works in their required budgets and constraints. This is not a pleasant time for anyone involved.
I remember how crushed we were when Caity started kindergarten. It was to be with a different teacher and we all trooped in to meet her and get to see their classroom only to be told a day later that that plan had been scrapped and it was back to the same teacher who we and Adam had not had the best experiences with.
I remember a white faced Adam telling me that he had been split from every single friend that he had and teacher that he had really wanted. I went all mama bear and marched in and withdrew him until the agreed to place him where he wanted to be. Now being one of ‘those’ parents is not the funnest reputation to get, however, it was the best thing I did as I really feel his experience in that class is what catapulted his enthusiasm for extracurricular activities. There he learned to love music and singing. He would not have had that push in the other class. Prior to this, Adam, due to his empathy and caring attitude was used a bit of a baby sitter when it came to the special needs kids in the classes, especially when he was in grade 2 and put in a 1/2 split. This was having a horrid affect on his grades, which NOW have seen steady improvement.
If your ‘firsts’ are as unfun as ours, the key is to go with your gut. ASK questions of the teachers and the administrators. ask for meetings if your kids and yourself are not happy with the outcome. Be polite but be firm. Understand the WHY of the situation, but remember YOU know your child the best and YOU should have the final say on what is the best situation for your child no matter what is happening due to low enrolment, and budget cuts.
Patience and empathy for the teachers and the kids is crucial at this time of year. I resolve to be as positive as possible for the sake of the kids and keep my fingers crossed that nothing terrible happens on decision day.
How about you? What is the set up in your district? Are you dealing with low or high enrolment and split classes?
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