We are NOT happy!!!!!!!

We (that is the royal “we”) are not happy with the public school system. In the past week:

1. The school district has decided that recess is detrimental to education and has banned all planned recess.
2. Joshua’s class brought home the results to the standardized tests the kids took last year. The teacher was kind enough to hand them out in class. Oh, and she didn’t put them in envelopes. The kids go to see each other’s scores. I’m glad Joshua wasn’t the poor kid that the whole calss knows didn’t pass any of the sections.
3. At Open House last night I brought up the test result situation with the Principal. He acted like I was from outer space. He then informed me that each child’s test results could be found online. I was gobsmacked!! (I looked for it for a couple of hours but didn't find it.)
4. Today Joshua came home from school and told me that one of his friends (hereafter known as Kid 1) was kicked out of school. I asked him why and he told me that one of his other friends (I'll be uncreative and call him Kid 2) lost his balance in a basketball game and knocked the first one down. Kid 1 hit Kid 2. When Kid 2 told the duty, Kid 1 denied it. The duty apparently turned her back to deal with something else and Kid 1 started calling Kid 2 and Joshua all sorts of names. He then “demonstrated” on Joshua what he did to Kid 2 and choked him for quite some time. Joshua was about to use his Tae Kwon Do on him when Kid 1 stopped. Now, wouldn’t you think the school would have called and let us know about this????????????

So, what did I learn this week from school?

1. Test results (leading to all work and no play) are more important than the needs of kids.
2. Children’s feelings don’t matter.
3. Parents’ opinions are of very little consequence.
4. My kids are not well supervised at lunch break. (This is not the first instance of lack of proper supervision.)
   

What did I learn from Joshua?

1. My rough and tumble guy has a big heart. He had been trying to talk to Kid 1 to help him with his problems.
2. Forgiveness. Joshua hopes to see Kid 1 at school next week when he picks up his stuff to tell him good-bye. (Would I feel that way? Doubtful.)
3. Joshua has a streak of an evangelist in him. He may not wear his faith on his sleeve (or his t-shirt) any more, but he is not ashamed to tell kids about being a Christian. I am really proud of him.