Passing Notes

PJ came home yesterday with this note in her backpack.

She pulled it out, read it and was going to toss it.

I asked what it was and who it was from.

She said, “We have mail boxes this year. LuLu (her teacher) wrote it to me. It’s says: PJ, today you did great in math. Never give up! LuLu”

Could it possibly get better then that?

If I Were The President…

I love the Chinese school conferences, there is always something funny that boils over from them.   This last conference, PJ had a creative writing assignment…yes, all in Chinese.

If I Were The President by PJ-age 8

If I were the President, but I don’t want to be the President, but if I had to be the President I would…

Tell people they should not litter.

I would go to China every week.

I would take care of the animals.

I would tell people you could keep a tiger for a pet.

I would be in my own movie.

I would want a robot to wait on me.

I would ride a lion.

I would play sports everyday.

The skimmer

My kid’s grading system at school looks like this:

E=Exceeding the Standard

A= Achieving the Standard

P= Partially Achieving the Standard

N=Not Achieving the Standard

CT walks in last Friday with his report card an announces, “I got one P…in constipation!”

That would be Computation my friend!  Everyone knows he gets an E in constipation.

Ready, set, SCHOOL

As for the start of school, we had mixed reviews.

KP was really nervous and did not want to go.  Until he got on the bus and saw his buddies, then he seemed to breath a bit easier.

PJ was the first kid up, did her chores and even made her own lunch with 30 minutes to spare, standing by the back door with her backpack on.

CT eased into the morning and was fully ready to embrace 5th grade.  I think it helps that his best friend Sam is in his class this year AND he got the teacher he wanted. I call that winning the 5th grade lottery.

Here is to the beginning of a GREAT school year!

Slightly Misty

Today was KP’s last day of school. He hopped right on that bus ready to get the day moving and be done with school and ready for summer.

As he stood there, I couldn’t believe my littlest one was now done with Kindergarten.

He has gotten so big and learned so much.

How he made it through Chinese Kindergarten is beyond me…but he did, and he did well.

And he even enjoyed it, just the littlest bit.

Way to go buddy!

Just in case we were questioning our choice

Last week, I went with PJ’s class to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to look at the eight pieces of art that they had studied in class.  The docent was so intrigued about the fact that our little group spoke Chinese, that she wanted to kick off the tour by dropping by the Chinese art exhibit.

She brought the kids to see this very old tapestry, that is hanging behind her, and asked if anyone recognized any of the characters.

A few kids started raising their hands, and then a few started saying random things here and there, and then the rest picked up on it and the entire group stood there chanting aloud the story that was woven so many years ago on an ancient Chinese tapestry.

As I stood with my eyes wide and my mouth agape, the docent turned to me and the other mom and said, “did either of you get that on video?”

Homework

Any guesses on what PJ is doing on that sheet of paper?

Multiplication tables (1-9)!  It was two pages long when it was all said and done.

Practice makes perfect.

Life Lessons

Really it was only a matter of time until a teacher or counselor or bus driver talked to me about something KP did at school.  Oh don’t get me wrong, he’s a wonderful child, but he does have a lot of exuberance AND doesn’t always think before he does.

So when he was dropped off from school on Tuesday the bus driver yelled out, “MISS MARY, MISS MARY”, all the while curling his big thick finger up and down showing me I was wanted on the bus for a little talkie.

He proceeded to say, “KP has something to tell you and then you can call me tonight.”

SWEET!  Being a parent is awesome!  What the hell?  What on earth did you do?

Once we got inside he told me the whole story, he didn’t even try to hide it.   Then around 9:00 pm I got to call the bus driver at home (that’s weird…am I right on that one?) and get his side of the story.

Then KP got to write him a little note of apology.

It says:

Dear Mr. Chuck,

I am sorry for poking holes in your bus seat with my pencil.

KP

Then he had to hand it to him the next morning, THAT was the hardest part of the whole deal.

PJ’s homework

This came home from school in PJ’s folder.

Only in Chinese school do you get a star with a frown in it when you get ONE wrong.

She is just not living up to their standards.

Looking sick, isn’t he?

He woke up with a temperature of 100.2 and a cough. 100 degrees is the point where the school suggests to keep them home due to spread of germs.

He was so excited to stay home.

As the bus pulled up yesterday morning he was yelling at the top of his lungs, “I’MMMMM SICK! I’M SICK, I’M STAYING HOOOOOOMMMMME!!!!!!!!!”

Yup, the rule girl in me just had to keep him home.

Do you follow the school guide line rules?