Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Open Letter

Dear Omnipotent Goddess Who Oversees the School Year:

Another year, another grade. Somehow I didn't stop to consider, when I decided to have a kid, that it would be tantamount to revisiting every grade, every subject, every heartache. I know there are a lot of children you oversee who are really struggling. Some of them are working through some tough family shit. Others are significantly academically challenged. I realize that my own child is very fortunate in her small school, in her safe clique. She has parents who really care to help her to achieve.

Nonetheless, as we stand on the precipice of another school year, I have to ask you to benevolently grant us the following:
  • A good teacher, who will engage my child without stressing her out. One who will require her to think, even as her mind wanders.
  • Some clear assignments (with articulate and age-appropriate instruction) to help her to learn.
  • Some traction. Please let us take some of the lessons learned from last year and apply them to this one - any and all of them.
  • A focused child - one who has the ability to keep it together after a 10 hour day so that she can do another hour of homework.
  • Patient parents who have the ability to keep it together after a 10 hour day to help the kid to learn (without semi-regularly throwing out snide remarks about not wanting to do this anymore because it's too unpleasant).
  • Good humour (see above).
  • No assignments that have anything to do with Nunavut. Please.
I really appreciate your consideration and anything you can do to assist us in achieving a harmonious next few months.

Thank you and best regards, K

4 comments:

  1. Oh honey. Goddess is a little busy right now with all my demands - er, requests. It's only been a week and I already give up.

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  2. My 11 year old's social studies teacher wrote on a handout for the whole class that "you will do your homework over and over and over again until you do it MY WAY so you should do it the right way the first time." She used the caps. She may require a visit from the Professors C.

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  3. LOL - perhaps you should give thanks that you only have to relive your youth once. I've done it three times now AND THEN... no one really points out to you that your children will in all likelyhood marry and that doubles their numbers and then... they with extrapolate without permission and there will be even more and more and more of them and those children will go to school too. I hear - not that I'm there yet - that the third time's the charm. So much easier. I'm hoping.

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  4. Tessa: LOL! Back off lady :-)

    Miss C: Egad. Def deserves a visit...

    Myrna: You really put this all into perspective :-)

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