Pizza Hut BookIt program

*emeleel* · #1 05-15-2006, 12:11 AM

The deadline for registering for the 06/07 school year for the Pizza Hut BookIt program is June 9th. I'm sure the regular teachers are familiar with it, but for the homeschoolers, here's you a link, too!

http://www.bookitprogram.com/enrollment/homeschool.asp

**pippadaisy**[$] · #2 05-15-2006, 12:35 AM

Thanks Melanie. At the very least, we won't be starting out the 06/07 school year homeschooling.

This is a WEIRD change of mindset for me. But I'll bookmark it for the following year.

*emeleel* · #3 05-15-2006, 09:46 AM

So you found a school for Beanie that you think will be satisfactory?

And you know me, I happen to think that's a great change in mindset!

**pippadaisy**[$] · #4 05-15-2006, 11:40 AM

No.

She didn't get into the charter school, so we are left with the local public school. Which sucks. But of course, she thinks it's like going to a non-stop party.

I'm letting her go, but I have my LOI all written up and ready to send in when she realizes how much it sucks.

*emeleel* · #5 05-15-2006, 01:39 PM

You have NO IDEA how many times I've contemplated doing the very same thing.

If you could get rid of the 3 little ones for a whole day (hard to do with Tattoo, I know) you could always do a "school at home" day: make her get up at whatever ungodly hour she'll have to get up to get to school, drive the drive, make her sit in a hard desk all day, make her raise her hand for every little thing, feed her a cafeteria lunch (no choices), and let her have only 15 minutes of recess for the whole day. Then make her do homework later, too.

It's a lot of work, but I've heard it's a rather successful strategy.

**mtomm**[$] · #6 05-15-2006, 02:28 PM

**pippadaisy**[$] · #7 05-15-2006, 03:24 PM

Nope... I'm going to let THEM do it. According to her friends, they do field trips "all the time" (as opposed to our once a week

) and they learn LOTS of new things and have fun ALL THE TIME.

It's like an AMUSEMENT PARK, apparently.

Of course, most of these are also kids who've been in daycare most of their lives. They also, for the most part, haven't done lessons or Scouts or anything else.

I can't wait until they make Beanie do PHONICS when she's reading Firewing. Should be a good one.

*emeleel* · #8 05-15-2006, 03:38 PM

Firewing, I don't think I know that one. Good stuff?

Erin has decided to tackle Moby Dick.

She's been begging for nearly a YEAR, and finally DH said just let her have at it. Should be interesting.

I'm gonna make DH quiz her on it.

**pippadaisy**[$] · #9 05-15-2006, 03:41 PM

Rosebud was the sled.

Oh wait... LOL

It's a series about bats. They seemed okay... I need to sit down and READ them instead of the quick skim I did, but she was begging for them.

*emeleel* · #10 05-16-2006, 11:10 AM

Oh, Margo - I think "LOI" is "letter of intent". It's what Pippa has to file to homeschool in her area - her intent to homeschool her child and remove the child from the public system.

**mtomm**[$] · #11 05-16-2006, 01:26 PM

Thanks!

**pippadaisy**[$] · #12 05-16-2006, 02:38 PM

Oops! Sorry! Missed your question, Margo.

I thought you were thinking about laughing.

Yes... we have a certain period of time to file a Letter of Intent after pulling a child out of school (or keep a child homeschooled at the beginning of the school year). Once they district receives the LOI, they request an IHIP (Individualized Homeschooling Instruction Plan or something like that) where we describe what we are planning on doing. Then the district accepts your IHIP and you are an official homeschooler and not truant.

**Prepoia**[$] · #13 05-16-2006, 03:46 PM

Quote:

emeleel said

You have NO IDEA how many times I've contemplated doing the very same thing.

If you could get rid of the 3 little ones for a whole day (hard to do with Tattoo, I know) you could always do a "school at home" day: make her get up at whatever ungodly hour she'll have to get up to get to school, drive the drive, make her sit in a hard desk all day, make her raise her hand for every little thing, feed her a cafeteria lunch (no choices), and let her have only 15 minutes of recess for the whole day. Then make her do homework later, too.

It's a lot of work, but I've heard it's a rather successful strategy.

Well, you know. Life isn't always just fun and games. I'm rather appalled that this is the way you view public schools. I've never really stated my views on homeschooling because I wouldn't want to offend those who do; I'm sure that you didn't mean to offend those who can't homeschool or don't choose to because they view it differently than you do, but...I had to let you know that this is twice recently that you've made fun of public schools and that I've been borderline offended. I'm not completely offended because I think I and others that teach at public schools; and who want the very best for our students; and who really try hard to help students and who love working with your kids (they are my kids for 6 hours a day) do a good job. We're all entitled to our opinions but it sure could minimize my professional worth if the world felt like you do.

Sandy

**pippadaisy**[$] · #14 05-16-2006, 07:03 PM

Sandy, neither of us meant it that way. Keep in mind that I have an awful public school. They can't keep a principal for more than a school year. Kindergarten they use to teach the ABCs and colors and how to cut with scissors. They have no program for gifted students (don't you know that almost all students even out by third grade?

)

You probably haven't followed the struggles I've had with Beanie homeschooling, but the child is reading at a sixth grade reading level. Her science knowledge is better than that of the fifth graders she knows from my girlfriend's daycare, and she's doing second grade math. Next year she'll be going to a school where the kids her age have just now started mastering sight words.

She thinks school is going to be a non-stop picnic, and she has no idea that she'll no longer be able to work at her own pace, or interact with kids who are reading the same things she is, and school is a MUCH longer day.

One of the benefits of homeschooling is eliminating all the "time wasters" that you have to do in school. I don't have to take attendance. She doesn't have to change classrooms or go to homeroom or ask for a bathroom pass. If it's a nice day, we can do our schooling later and do our "phys ed" outside instead. We do field trips once a week. Imagine how much you could tailor things if you had only one or two students instead of your entire class, and you didn't have to deal with NCLB. Aside from Beanie's attitude, homeschooling her this year has been a picnic compared to my experience when I was student teaching (which was what made me sure I didn't want to be a teacher!)

Beanie is not a good fit for public school. She may never be. But she thinks that I'm a hard taskmaster and school is "more fun and less work." She doesn't realize how much less time she'll be outside, how much more time will be review of concepts she already knows and passed a long time ago. For her, it will suck, and what Melanie is doing is singling out exactly the things that Benaie is going to hate: the longer day; having to wait her turn to talk, sitting in a conventional classroom, and being inside all the time. At six, she doesn't process ANY of that, and thinks she's going to be at school all day playing with other kids.

No one homeschools becuase they hate teachers. Just like no one quits teaching because they hate kids. Those of us who homeschool do so because traditional schooling just isn't a good fit for our kids. There is a charter school that has the perfect teaching style for Beanie. We can't get in. A private school that follows a simliar methodology is out of our price range. We don't have any other choices.

*emeleel* · #15 05-16-2006, 07:18 PM

Sandy, I'm short on time at the moment (taking a break while dinner is cooking) but I want to offer a basic apology at the moment, and come back later with a better one. Not sure I can explain myself much better than to say we're facing pretty much the same things as Pippa, but I will expand later.

I do NOT hate teachers. I know y'all work hard.

*emeleel* · #16 05-16-2006, 08:40 PM

Okay, I'm back.

Sandy - and anyone else who I might have miffed - I really am sorry. But I was really poking fun at Beanie. Sorry Pip! But I went through the same thing with Erin at the same age.

I'm not trying to say that school is terrible and awful, an orphan's workhouse. But it IS vastly different than what Beanie (and previously, Erin) thinks it is. No matter how wonderful the school, no matter how wonderful the teachers, there are certain realities unless you're maybe attending some kind of crunchy granola private school. And at that age, the only way they'll learn is to experience it, whether it's at school itself or by parental effort at home. I remember my own school days, good and bad, and even the best times at school are not what my kids are experiencing - and I'm just saying it's *different*, not trying to put anything down. I'm sorry if my teasing at Pippa sounding like I was.

And just so I know, what was the other thing that I said that was troublesome? 'Cause I'm drawing a blank. Thanks.

**Prepoia**[$] · #17 05-16-2006, 11:23 PM

I understand what you meant and I agree that public school isn't for every child because not all kids fit. I would, however, like to point out that kids pick up negative and positive attitudes their parents have about things and I hope that you will give Beanie a chance to suceed and decide on the positives and negatives without passing on bias. Even though your bias is well meant for what you think is best for her, it isn't what is happening at this point and it may make school adjustment more difficult for her than will be necessary.

And, Em, the other thing that I mentioned I finally found in an old thread. It turns out that your child didn't say it and you were repeating what she said (like I thought) it was something that you passed on from one of your homeschooling friends that you thought was funny. I cut and am pasting it here. Sorry that I thought it was your comment.

A funny for my fellow homeschooling moms

Tags:

Probably only the homeschoolers will find this funny, but oh well! A mom posted this to one of my state homeschooling lists this morning:

I took the kids out to breakfast Tuesday before a field trip. We were
waiting for our food and the kids were coloring the kid busy sheets they
have at most places now. My 7 year old was doing a crossword puzzle that
was covering 'school' related words. She got 'something that writes with
one end and has an eraser on the other' though she had no clue what
'building used for physical education' was. She worked a while longer,
filling in rows and finally said, "Mom, I can't get this to work."

I asked what was going on and she said, "This clue says 'the subject for the
study of life, animals, rocks, etc'. That's 'science', right?" I said,
"Yep" She said, "It won't fit here-is there another word for science?" I
said to let me see what was going on.

In the 7-letter line for 'a child that attends school all day' instead of
'student' she had put 'trapped'.
__________________
Melanie L. Ellis

Sandy

*emeleel* · #18 05-16-2006, 11:35 PM

Ah, no wonder I was drawing a blank, that was a while back. Well, let me apologize again. I stay out of most of the political bickering, but I guess I still can't keep my foot out of my mouth all the time.

Thank you for letting me know what it was that bothered you.

*emeleel* · #19 05-16-2006, 11:38 PM

Oh - FWIW, I would have pretty much the exact same advice for a parent of a teenager who was bound and determined to leave school so they can get a job or get married. Put 'em at hard, boring adult labor for about a week, including all the stuff you have to do once you get home, and help them see that being a grownup isn't all fun and games. Doesn't mean I think that professional, grownup life is horrible, just that sometimes young folks need a wakeup call through experience rather than lectures.

**Prepoia**[$] · #20 05-17-2006, 12:21 AM

Quote:

emeleel said

Oh - FWIW, I would have pretty much the exact same advice for a parent of a teenager who was bound and determined to leave school so they can get a job or get married. Put 'em at hard, boring adult labor for about a week, including all the stuff you have to do once you get home, and help them see that being a grownup isn't all fun and games. Doesn't mean I think that professional, grownup life is horrible, just that sometimes young folks need a wakeup call through experience rather than lectures.

Well, see, there we go

I love my job and being married and neither one has ever bored me silly. So I wouldn't have learned the lesson that way either. While it's not all fun and games I'm enjoying every minute of both. Learning life's parameters doesn't mean parameters are bad. Smart kids can learn anywhere and my classes aren't boring and a punishment and I loved school when I was growing up so much that I became a teacher (that and I was influenced by a 6th grade teacher that was a wonderful role model.)

We learn so much from all of our differences. That's why I like this board. The best learning is from others that are sometimes the same and sometimes different.