GBW PTA - No Math Club and Science Olympiad

[Anonymous]

Is it tougher at AAP center schools to get participation since families can live pretty far from the school, or have siblings at different schools making logistics just a little bit harder? Also, you join the community in 3rd grade, and maybe haven't grown into the community as much while other local parents know each other through being neighbors and the time spent in the earlier grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want a school with parents who don't value cut throat academics above any other endeavor. Where that falls on racial/ethnic lines, that's neither here nor there.

My point was that families can't be bothered to show up for even events with an academic focus, like the science night listed above.

It really is at a point where no one even wants to bother anymore since the apathy or whatever it is is so damn strong. It isn't worth planning events that no one comes to. Frankly, it's embarrassing that turnout is so dismal for just about anything that isn't chess, science or math team meetings.

Amen! I couldn't agree more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it tougher at AAP center schools to get participation since families can live pretty far from the school, or have siblings at different schools making logistics just a little bit harder? Also, you join the community in 3rd grade, and maybe haven't grown into the community as much while other local parents know each other through being neighbors and the time spent in the earlier grades.

While I can appreciate this, the schools in question are really not that far apart. So, distance isn't an issue in this case.

[Anonymous]

When my DS at Hunters Woods (AAP Center) did SO, there was a PTA coordinator. But we went in fully knowing that the kids did all the work/studying/prep at home. So my DS and his partner did prep for one "problem" at our house, and the other "problem" at the other kid's house. So each of the mom's coached each problem--basically keeping the kids on track.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my DS at Hunters Woods (AAP Center) did SO, there was a PTA coordinator. But we went in fully knowing that the kids did all the work/studying/prep at home. So my DS and his partner did prep for one "problem" at our house, and the other "problem" at the other kid's house. So each of the mom's coached each problem--basically keeping the kids on track.

was the PTA coordinator a staff member?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my DS at Hunters Woods (AAP Center) did SO, there was a PTA coordinator. But we went in fully knowing that the kids did all the work/studying/prep at home. So my DS and his partner did prep for one "problem" at our house, and the other "problem" at the other kid's house. So each of the mom's coached each problem--basically keeping the kids on track.

was the PTA coordinator a staff member?

No it was a parent volunteer thru the PTA. Teachers were not involved one bit. We also did Odyssey of the Mind at our base school and ZERO staff were involved with that either. The ONLY activity I can think of in elementary where teachers ran it was Girls On The Run and possibly the Eco CLUb. And GOTR costs a decent amount so I assume those teachers got paid (and perhaps love running).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want a school with parents who don't value cut throat academics above any other endeavor. Where that falls on racial/ethnic lines, that's neither here nor there.

My point was that families can't be bothered to show up for even events with an academic focus, like the science night listed above.

It really is at a point where no one even wants to bother anymore since the apathy or whatever it is is so damn strong. It isn't worth planning events that no one comes to. Frankly, it's embarrassing that turnout is so dismal for just about anything that isn't chess, science or math team meetings.

The science event mentioned above is truly not an academically focused event since it's very passive, IMO. The students don't really do anything but watch somebody else's science experiment. Yes, it's better than nothing, but why don't you hold a science fair?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my DS at Hunters Woods (AAP Center) did SO, there was a PTA coordinator. But we went in fully knowing that the kids did all the work/studying/prep at home. So my DS and his partner did prep for one "problem" at our house, and the other "problem" at the other kid's house. So each of the mom's coached each problem--basically keeping the kids on track.

was the PTA coordinator a staff member?

No it was a parent volunteer thru the PTA. Teachers were not involved one bit. We also did Odyssey of the Mind at our base school and ZERO staff were involved with that either. The ONLY activity I can think of in elementary where teachers ran it was Girls On The Run and possibly the Eco CLUb. And GOTR costs a decent amount so I assume those teachers got paid (and perhaps love running).

There is no pay for leading GOTR at my school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want a school with parents who don't value cut throat academics above any other endeavor. Where that falls on racial/ethnic lines, that's neither here nor there.

My point was that families can't be bothered to show up for even events with an academic focus, like the science night listed above.

It really is at a point where no one even wants to bother anymore since the apathy or whatever it is is so damn strong. It isn't worth planning events that no one comes to. Frankly, it's embarrassing that turnout is so dismal for just about anything that isn't chess, science or math team meetings.

The science event mentioned above is truly not an academically focused event since it's very passive, IMO. The students don't really do anything but watch somebody else's science experiment. Yes, it's better than nothing, but why don't you hold a science fair?

They do have a science fair.

[Anonymous]

And how's the turn out for the science fair?