I am trying to figure out what the point of my kids going to school this week is. They have school Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and a half day Thursday, but all they are doing is having parties all week. To me this is a total waste of everyone's time. I could understand if Wednesday was reserved for year book signing and parties, but why do they have to party the whole week away??
In my post I never said they can't go to school during this time. Yes, I understand it is good to have social time and time with teachers, but I figured in middle school they would have less parties than my 1st grader. That is not the case at all, which is why I found it too be strange. This is my oldest daughters first year of middle school, and I guess I just did not expect this in Middle School. What do I know though since I've never had a middle school age child before?!?
Honestly, I wouldn't care if my kids (3rd and 6th grades) partied the entire last week! I suppose they could get out a week earlier. But no thanks. Summer is long enough! I think the kids have worked hard this year and deserve that time to celebrate. Let them be kids, ya know? Life is waaaayyy too serious once you're a grown-up.
The good news is that if they are having parties and easy days. That means the teachers have completed what they were supposed to have taught. If they had fallen behind, missed days because of weather etc.. They would still be having tests and homework these would be the make up or catch up days.
They still do some work, but it is light weight in comparison to what they were used to..
Teachers tell me they love this time with their students. . These are the last days with this group of students will be all together. .. and they love being able to do the fun things they have wanted to do.. It gives the school year a nice ending.
My son is a junior in high school and is overwhelmed with all the last minute assignments and projects due this week, the last week of school. He would much rather be having parties!
For full disclosure I am a teacher but I think that end of the year parties are an important part of the experience. They provide celebration and closure and celebrate the community that the class built throughout the year. They are often a carrot that teachers can offer students to push through to the last couple of days of instruction before they sign yearbooks and get all nostalgic. I make deals with my kids that if we cover the full unit we can take some time and celebrate. I also need to finish grading and that one whole day I get paid for after the kids leave just isn't enough to get it all done. I give finals the last day and after the final we have a little fun. We need a chance to celebrate and say goodbye to kids too. We will miss them when they move on.
Children are NOT going to be able to learn anything the last week, anyway. Why not have a fun send off week? Saying goodbye to friends, having fun, and having closure on a long school year, is NOT a waste of time.
Worrying and being annoyed by something positive, is a pointless waste of time. Why on earth does this matter to you?
Lighten up, killjoy.
Are they really having parties all day, every day?
Even if they are, the "point" is actually many points.
-they are celebrating the end of a busy and productive year
-they are strengthening bonds with teachers and with each other
-they are looking back at all the memories they have made, and all the growing and learning they have done
-they are cleaning out their desks and classrooms, packing everything up to take home
-they are returning books and organizing supplies before they leave
-they are simply enjoying their last few days together and having fun
Why does any of this bother you so much? Geez :-(
The point is to be social and wind up the year, presumably. If they did testing part of the day, the rest of the day may be to unwind. A party is unlikely to last ALL day. Sometimes at the end of the year, there were locker cleanouts, etc. If you would just pull them out of school anyway, you might as well let them play.
To answer your question, yes, DD has had parties much of the last few weeks as they try to slide in the summer birthdays. But the "party time" is not the entire day.
I think school is about education as much as it is about everything else that shapes our children. Parties are an important part of that. The last few weeks of school here are also mostly parties and winding down. No major tests or big projects due. They are preparing for summer and enjoying their last few weeks with their class.
I think parties are fine.
I have four kids in school and this last week and the week before has been wind down for them. We only have three days this week with today, Tuesday and the last day, Wednesday short days. What's the point? Closure.
Imagine going to work and then when you retire you just up and leave. No saying goodbye, no parties, no one to tell you how much they appreciate you. We have a few retirees this year and for the last two weeks they've been doing what they do to wrap up their life at work.
Same for kids, I can't imagine them doing Theme 10 studies and then on Friday they all just go home and never come back. The best part of the end of the year was all the cool stuff we did... assemblies, plays, movies, parties, yearbooks and taking down all the stuff in the class and taking things home. I volunteer in the class and I can tell you, although they are not learning new things, they are doing fun learning things that they couldn't do because there is focus on the exams. After the tests is when teachers get a bit more free reign to be creative and do fun things with the students but they are still learning. This last three days they have had to opportunity to do one fun thing a day but the rest of the day is still teaching. Like I said, they just don't introduce new ideas. They cover old ideas in more fun ways.
I am with Mamazita, what is wrong with children having some fun, and down time. It's May, they have worked all year, let them have some fun. And, I am sure they are not having parties all day. Kids are stressed and have to much work, and not enough play and downtime. I think socializing is also a huge and important part of development. Don't have any issue with it.
Well, if it hasn't been fully explained I'd ask the teacher. I can't imagine ANY party lasting all day. Is is possible that some of the "parties" are merely free time in co-curricular classes (art, music, P.E., etc.). I'd express my concerns to the teacher and let her explain. Our school has ONE day of parties. Each grade level does their own celebration for the year. I have no problem with that and I look forward to it!
They are having THREE parties? I doubt that. Sorry. Our school does ONE grade party - there are no individual/class parties - it's the WHOLE grade. They have one field day as well.
If your child does NOT go - they will be counted as absent. That will affect the total number of days attended.
AND you are teaching your child/ren that "just because it's not important to YOU - they can skip it." It's not a waste of time, not in my book.
The last week of school for us has been desk clean out, getting art work and presentations home, year book signing and overall preparation for next year...
I doubt that they are only having parties. My kids don't have homework but still are doing school work. My 4th grader had a root beer float party in his class yesterday and my 7th grader has had finals. They have their parties on Wed for each class and Thursday is 1/2 day. Why don't you ask the school what they are doing?
I wouldn't worry about keeping your kids home a few days early. So what if they have a few days absent on their report cards? They know that they aren't missing work. The real question is if they WANT to participate in the parties.
My guess is that they do. I'd let them. When they get into high school, there are so many tests, projects, papers, etc that they have, so many deadlines to meet, that they will be exhausted the last week and will WISH there were a week's full of parties like when they were little.
By me, school ends on June 7th. The last few days are pretty much attendance only since the tests are done and and grades are getting together for the final report card. The last day they only go for an hour and a half. My first 3 arwe graduating 8th grade this year. They have told me they only have 6 school days left. The rest is all about getting things straightened up and then practice. So that is 4 days this week, 2 days next week and then 3 days plus 3 more of "no school".
The last week and a half of my girls' school was mostly parties, fun days, activity days, field days (that sort of thing). It annoyed me, but my kids had fun... and sometimes school isn't about learning, I guess. This was the social part - which is important too.
Bug and I have had fights before, but I totally agree with her on this. What is the problem?
Our last day of school is June 6th and it is a half day. We have a big field day.
My kids go to private school so it goes to 8th grade. The last week there is 8th grade graduation, school awards ceremony.
They do a big ice cream social for K thru 3rd grade this friday, that is put on by the 4th thru 8th graders as they are buddies for the K thru 3rd grade. It is really a neat thing.
We dont have a "year end" party persay but there are all sorts of activites the last week. (year book signing, clean out desks, general year end stuff)
many blessings
The point is to let them enjoy time with their friends, spend time with their teacher that isn't all about learning, and just to have fun. Plus, you don't have to think of ways to entertain them and break up their arguments if they aren't at home!
We don't finish till June 20, so this seems a long way away for me!
We are doing fun end of the year activities the last week, but we only have one party the last day of school at the very end of the day. Trust me. The kids are DONE and ready for summer and we still have 2 1/2 weeks. Teachers HAVE to make it fun just to survive. LOL!!! :)
Does school end this week? Here we have five more weeks. So if school ends this week, not a problem. If they still have a few weeks left that is a big problem!
No parties but then they are in middle school. Still even in grade school they had one party.
I got annoyed last year, because it seemed like May was movie month, but the last week this year...nah, I'm good. They're having some special presentations that will certainly feel like parties, but they'll learn something at most of them (example, "bug day").
I feel like it's summer; I don't know why, because I sure still have to work. But I am glad for the reprieve from struggling w/ our 2nd grader w/ ADHD over homework (while still sending him off for some socialization).
How old are your kids? My oldest is in elementary. If it was high school, then I think I'd be confounded.
This year is better, but the last two years were seriously a TOTAL waste of time. I even wrote the principal and the school district to complain. The days at the end of the year should be as valuable as the days at the beginning and the middle. I think you should take your concerns where they will be heard. So much time is wasted in American schools, it's no wonder our country is lagging behind even the poorest countries.
My kids are also out as of June 6th. The teachers had to send home letters explaining that while they ARE having more events and parties ( next week my 3rd grader has a field trip, meet the pen pal picnic and a class party) they are also having important end of the year tests and urged parents to continue to send their kids to school.
It's getting hot out and they can't push the kids too hard at the end.
I want my kids to savor their time-because next year they will be in an entirely different environment (the schools are being clustered). Some of the kids they are saying goodbye to they will not see in school in the future.
They have finished their tests, they don't have any more work to accomplish, they're done so they are having fun making memories. If you don't care for them wasting time like this go ahead and keep them home. Starting Summer vacation early can't hurt anyone!
My daughter's last week is next week. No school Monday. Field day Tuesday. They are all going to the local pool/water park on Thursday and Friday is the last day which is a half day during which they will have an end of year party.
My kids are at a Catholic school. They are having a school festival tomorrow that will take up a good part of the day, and Friday will likely be mostly cleaning, throwing away papers and workbooks, saying goodbye, signing yearbooks, etc.
My 3rd grader is still doing work for the most part, but he does have a cool field trip on Thursday. School isn't out until June 6, and they have awards and a party on that day. They'll have some other fun things planned that last week, I'm sure. I don't mind that at all. They've worked so hard this year.
My oldest is a freshman in high school, and he's working on another major paper and studying for a test. I teach juniors and seniors, and we'll be working to the bitter end. Final exams are on June 5/6, and those are half days. I think I'm more excited than my students! :)
The last week of my kids' school is the same way. I hate it. AND it's private school so we PAY for it!!! But do I really want to be the parent who complains and gets all the fun taken away? :) And it gives them great memories with their classmates.
This is my kids' last week.
They are still doing school work.
Not only partying.
They have 1 day of parties. The rest of the week is still, regular school routine.
This is elementary school.
And on at least part of one day, the kids as a classroom, are cleaning up and gathering their things to bring home from class.
