Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actual APS teachers post on AEM that they don’t have time to *really* grade their students’ writing assignments. But go on telling us how rigorous your school is.

Hahhhaha. What writing assignments? My kids have never written more than about a paragraph.

Maybe some of you have kids in some kind of remedial English? Being serious. Not our kid’s experience at all.

My kid is at DHMS, never gotten less than an A in anything, never does homework, doesn’t write more than a paragraph, is in intensified everything and accelerated math. I understand that our experience isn’t universal. But it is true for us, and it is a frustrating situation.

This is weird and sounds like a DHMS issue. Not our experience at Swanson.

It sounds like a PP issue.

I had one kid already go through DHMS and another one there now. They both had homework - one completed most at school, the other preferred to socialize so had 20-60 min/night at home, plus reading. Plus some bigger projects. Both also have had many multiple writing assignments. There is also more writing than I'd expect in other subjects - history/civics, math (!), health, science. They have been doing 5-page paragraphs since 4th grade.

5-page what? I’m the PP and I’ve had years at DHMS as well. We probably know each other. What teacher/class gave a 5 page writing assignment? Sorry I do not believe you or I think what you mean is unclear.

To be clear, I am not counting the incredibly stupid and wasteful nanorimo (?) thing they do in 8th grade. What a waste of everyone’s time.

As to homework, my kids have always completed it in class or in Phoenix time. Meaning they never do 20-60 a night or ever. I believe that your kids do. I also believe that most kids do. But for kids with high executive function, they don’t.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actual APS teachers post on AEM that they don’t have time to *really* grade their students’ writing assignments. But go on telling us how rigorous your school is.

Hahhhaha. What writing assignments? My kids have never written more than about a paragraph.

Maybe some of you have kids in some kind of remedial English? Being serious. Not our kid’s experience at all.

My kid is at DHMS, never gotten less than an A in anything, never does homework, doesn’t write more than a paragraph, is in intensified everything and accelerated math. I understand that our experience isn’t universal. But it is true for us, and it is a frustrating situation.

This is weird and sounds like a DHMS issue. Not our experience at Swanson.

It sounds like a PP issue.

I had one kid already go through DHMS and another one there now. They both had homework - one completed most at school, the other preferred to socialize so had 20-60 min/night at home, plus reading. Plus some bigger projects. Both also have had many multiple writing assignments. There is also more writing than I'd expect in other subjects - history/civics, math (!), health, science. They have been doing 5-page paragraphs since 4th grade.

Anonymous wrote:My kid at Swanson swears that when they pass out the honor roll certificates, slighly more than half the class gets them. That's for As and Bs. So...maybe everyone on DCUM gets straight As but I don't think that's universally the case. Which sucks for parents reading here with kids who dont.

My son (6th grade Swanson) claims that less than 1/3 of his classmates get honor roll cards and more get letters congratulating them for almost making the honor roll. He's proud of his honor roll status (some As, mostly low Bs) but I've bugged him a bit--asking if most of the class is on the honor roll--because he rarely does homework at home or study, and he doesn't care much for school. I think he can try harder and do better so I signed him up for all intensified classes next year.

And he does have short writing assignments. I helped him one time this year (because it was late evening and assignment due) and his teacher accused him of plagiarism , gave him a bad grade and made him redo another assignment. Oops

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actual APS teachers post on AEM that they don’t have time to *really* grade their students’ writing assignments. But go on telling us how rigorous your school is.

Hahhhaha. What writing assignments? My kids have never written more than about a paragraph.

Maybe some of you have kids in some kind of remedial English? Being serious. Not our kid’s experience at all.

My kid is at DHMS, never gotten less than an A in anything, never does homework, doesn’t write more than a paragraph, is in intensified everything and accelerated math. I understand that our experience isn’t universal. But it is true for us, and it is a frustrating situation.

This is weird and sounds like a DHMS issue. Not our experience at Swanson.

Not our experience at DHMS. We have gotten lots of homework in math, science and english - all intensified classes and my kid usually works on these at free period but there are weeks where she has to stay up and work on these stuff.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids both had all straight A’s until ninth grade. Middle school is a joke and did not prepare them for note taking, study habits, how to adequately plan out a large project, etc..

My kid’s MS experience prepared him for most of that… studying, etc mostly in math, and large projects via immersion classes.

This is the problem- no continuity amongst schools in this VERY small county with plenty of resources.

You wouldn't believe how many kids from WMS have to be caught up at YHS or private schools.

My kid at Swanson swears that when they pass out the honor roll certificates, slighly more than half the class gets them. That's for As and Bs. So...maybe everyone on DCUM gets straight As but I don't think that's universally the case. Which sucks for parents reading here with kids who dont.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actual APS teachers post on AEM that they don’t have time to *really* grade their students’ writing assignments. But go on telling us how rigorous your school is.

Hahhhaha. What writing assignments? My kids have never written more than about a paragraph.

Really? My kid is in 6th and writing essays that are multiple paragraphs. He just had a 5-paragraph essay in Spanish History. He also had a creative writing assignment in ELA where he had to write a short story about a kid his age.

Same. My kid has had writing assignments in English and in other classes, including writing a play (that was long) in 7th grade. In World Geo in 8th grade they did a lot of writing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actual APS teachers post on AEM that they don’t have time to *really* grade their students’ writing assignments. But go on telling us how rigorous your school is.

Hahhhaha. What writing assignments? My kids have never written more than about a paragraph.

Maybe some of you have kids in some kind of remedial English? Being serious. Not our kid’s experience at all.

My kid is at DHMS, never gotten less than an A in anything, never does homework, doesn’t write more than a paragraph, is in intensified everything and accelerated math. I understand that our experience isn’t universal. But it is true for us, and it is a frustrating situation.

This is weird and sounds like a DHMS issue. Not our experience at Swanson.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids both had all straight A’s until ninth grade. Middle school is a joke and did not prepare them for note taking, study habits, how to adequately plan out a large project, etc..

My kid’s MS experience prepared him for most of that… studying, etc mostly in math, and large projects via immersion classes.

+1 MS immersion required in-depth and substantive essays and projects, both in history/WG and Spanish language arts. Grade 8 was particularly demanding. I don't remember what they were required to do in English, because what they were required to do in Spanish was such a heavy lift.

One kid had straight As in MS and has maintained straight As through HS. We know that's unusual. Other kid did not have straight As and MS and does not have straight As in HS. In both cases, they were well-prepared to enter HS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actual APS teachers post on AEM that they don’t have time to *really* grade their students’ writing assignments. But go on telling us how rigorous your school is.

Hahhhaha. What writing assignments? My kids have never written more than about a paragraph.

Maybe some of you have kids in some kind of remedial English? Being serious. Not our kid’s experience at all.

My kid is at DHMS, never gotten less than an A in anything, never does homework, doesn’t write more than a paragraph, is in intensified everything and accelerated math. I understand that our experience isn’t universal. But it is true for us, and it is a frustrating situation.

Huh? What about the longer writing assignments?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actual APS teachers post on AEM that they don’t have time to *really* grade their students’ writing assignments. But go on telling us how rigorous your school is.

Hahhhaha. What writing assignments? My kids have never written more than about a paragraph.

Really? My kid is in 6th and writing essays that are multiple paragraphs. He just had a 5-paragraph essay in Spanish History. He also had a creative writing assignment in ELA where he had to write a short story about a kid his age.

My 6th grader at Gunston (traditional program) has written multiple stories/essays and has had several assigned novels in addition to other required reading.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actual APS teachers post on AEM that they don’t have time to *really* grade their students’ writing assignments. But go on telling us how rigorous your school is.

Hahhhaha. What writing assignments? My kids have never written more than about a paragraph.

Maybe some of you have kids in some kind of remedial English? Being serious. Not our kid’s experience at all.

My kid is at DHMS, never gotten less than an A in anything, never does homework, doesn’t write more than a paragraph, is in intensified everything and accelerated math. I understand that our experience isn’t universal. But it is true for us, and it is a frustrating situation.

Don't they not have homework because they have 90 minute class periods that are designed for them to get work done in school. If they don't do the work in school then it comes home as HW.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actual APS teachers post on AEM that they don’t have time to *really* grade their students’ writing assignments. But go on telling us how rigorous your school is.

Hahhhaha. What writing assignments? My kids have never written more than about a paragraph.

Maybe some of you have kids in some kind of remedial English? Being serious. Not our kid’s experience at all.

My kid is at DHMS, never gotten less than an A in anything, never does homework, doesn’t write more than a paragraph, is in intensified everything and accelerated math. I understand that our experience isn’t universal. But it is true for us, and it is a frustrating situation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actual APS teachers post on AEM that they don’t have time to *really* grade their students’ writing assignments. But go on telling us how rigorous your school is.

Hahhhaha. What writing assignments? My kids have never written more than about a paragraph.

Really? My kid is in 6th and writing essays that are multiple paragraphs. He just had a 5-paragraph essay in Spanish History. He also had a creative writing assignment in ELA where he had to write a short story about a kid his age.

DHMS -6th all straight As with Pre-Algebra, sailed through it all.

7th - all intensified classes. Mostly As and a couple of Bs. Have to work much harder this year to get As in math and science.