Crazy School Times

I got a call from Kendall’s third grade teacher today at lunch. She was asking where Kendall’s science project was. It was a 4 week project due today.

Needless to say I was stunned. Not because Kendall hadn’t worked on it, but because I didn’t realize it was required. The “contract” had some home. I’d read it. Tia had read it. It appeared to be an optional item for the science fair that takes place tonight. So we asked Kendall, she declined, and I didn’t think anything else about it.

Until I got the call. I explained to the teacher that we didn’t know it was required and she argued a bit, but admitted that she hadn’t noticed Kendall didn’t turn in a contract. Apparently some kid turned in 2, so she didn’t realize. She said she’d send home a packet again and we could spend the next couple weeks working on it.

I got the packed this afternoon, read it, and I don’t see where it’s required. The top sheet says

“Please review the attached packet with your child to determine what type of project or investigation he/she would like to do for the 3rd Grade Science Fair”

In my experience, the Science Fair is optional, and I told her teacher that. The attached packet then says

“As part of our EXPLORE units this year, we are excited to give the students an opportunity to participate in our first ever Science Fair” (emphasis mine)

I still don’t see it listed as a required item, and I’ll send a note to the teacher to that effect, but apparently it is required. So now we need to investigate something. I was looking forward to it, so it’s not big deal, but it’s an annoying thing to deal with in this way.

Then to top it off, Delaney has an essay due this week. The last time this was due I was up two nights in a row, late, trying to help him get a writing assignment done. I told him to work on it last night, but he left the instructions at school. So I deferred to today.

He came up to me after school and said he forgot the directions again. With the Kendall project burning my butt a little I told him that he could either find directions from a friend or surrender his XBOX and computer time to me for the next two weeks.

I haven’t seen that kid start using the phone and calling all his friends. He was in a bit of a panic, which somewhat disturbs me that it’s his XBOX that motivates him. In any case, he got directions and he’s working on it now.