How is math a language?! That kind of homework is so wrong, it takes my breath away. Poor BusyBoy... Poor BusyMom!

No kidding! Poor Busy Boy. I feel for him. Teachers these days must think that kids hang out at home and have nothing better to do than school work all summer. New Orleans Tween had to read something like 6 books, 4 short stories and a biography and do a book report. FOR 5TH GRADE! Not to mention that ever popular math packet that is about the size of the Atlanta yellow pages. What gives??? Let summer be summer already.

We went to parent orientation tonight. damn we have some teachers with high expectations. not that that is a bad thing, just that it makes me tired to think of all the horrifically complicated projects and nightly homework battles.

fortunately my son play football. to make sure they get their work done they use morning study hall and the bus ride home. i still check it over but football is the fire under their collective asses. now, after football? pulling teeth to get shit done.

Poor kid, I'm sure things will go well in the end... and good to hear you curse again BM. :)

Cheers

I have absolutely no idea how maths is a language in one way, never mind five. Poor Busy Boy.

I still hate homework. Not fair.

Summer seems to have passed very quickly this year. Even quicker than usual.

Don't thekids grow up fast? You'll need to hustle to keep up with some of that 5th grade homework.

Have a great school year!
Cas

Correction! Math is a foreign language all unto its own. Five foreign languages, each all unto its own. Sister (8th gr) comes to me with her worksheets and I actually laugh out loud.... and hand her the phone to call the foreign language math counsel!

Forget the homework! What's up with the three tests on the first day of school?!?!?

I'm totally convinced that you either get a Math Brain or a Language Brain. The two do not mix.
(That's me, the former foreign language teacher, sounding off)
My head hurts just THINKING about that assignment.

EEEK!

Ugh! At least it's a short week? Our school is evil and starts on Monday, full day. It's going to be a big shock on the kids' systems.

BusyMom Swore!

Homework on the 1st day - stupid homework - is not a good sign. I really really really hope that this is a teacher BusyGirl had & you know how to "handle". Poor BusyBoy - I hope this isn't going to be what 4th grade was for us. We call it the Year Of The Projects.

I don't know how math might be a language, but I'm impressed by YOUR language. Good work, Busy Mom.

I do not want to know how you Shit a Mole! That must hurt! Sounds like the teacher had a crappy summer and decided to take it out on the kids.

Now I'm really sweating. My kids start school next week. I'm ready for the end of everyone underfoot, but not for the homework and projects. What happened to homework kids could do on their own?

Those teachers really can cram alot into four hours. When I taught, the first two days were spent trying to get schedules changed, etc. In fact, the first day we often kept .our homeroom for four hours! Now that's fun. Poor boy. Let them ease into school.

"shitamole"? man, that's a new one for me. congratulations!

I have three, count 'em three, over-achievers, so our summer consisted of reminding the two high schoolers not to wait until the last week to do their AP/Honors summer work...yes, summer work. My littlest angel is in fourth grade this year, and they are already switching classes (you know, different teachers for different subjects), and he's HAPPY about it. Who are these kids, anyway?

Hey -- Finn is in 5th grade also. His news was that in May they have a "module" on "Human Growth and Development." or as I call it, pubes and sex.

Of course, Finn and I could teach that class!

Yikes! Our daughter had to do one book report over the summer before starting 6th grade. She turned it on Wednesday, her first day of school. So far the only "homework" she's had is to collect her parents' email addresses and signatures. No go on the latter, since my dh was out of town all week. I sure hope she doesn't go in the late book for that!

Yeah I've started to notice the school work is getting quite advanced for the chillin's....we're pushing for a nation of Baby Einsteins don'tchaknow? *rolls eyes*

WOW! We don't start for another week. I am totally scared now for my 7th grader! I agree they are trying to push them too hard these days, but they are also leaving out the basics. WHAT THE HELL?!?! They don't teach Grammar because it is not on the state testing! Screw that! So our kids may have all kinds of knowledge, but can't speak or write! They don't have to KNOW the times tables or basic addition or subtraction before they are doing algebra!

3 tests AND homework??? What the heck would they being taking TESTS on during the very first day of school when it was only a half day. Busy Boy arrives at school, puts backpack in locker, takes test 1, then test 2, sharpens his pencil, test 3 ... finishes in just enough time to jot down his homework assignment, grabs backpack from locker and sprints to catch bus.

Poor kid. Poor Mom! Hang in there!

I will continue to visit enjoyed the reading thanks

Ease into school? With the state breathing down our necks, you're lucky BusyBoy's homework didn't involve algorithms and solving equations. Five days into it and I feel like I am already behind. Somebody go to the school board and the Secretary of Education and the President. Look what we're doing to the children we're not trying to leave behind.

I'm math phobic so just reading about Busy Boy's homework assignment is making me dizzy. And THREE TESTS?!? That shitamole just ain't right.

My gosh! Poor Busy Boy; I have a fifth grader and I guess she's lucky because she hasn't had nearly that much yet!

yoiks!! I'm a teacher and I'd never give an assignment like that. How IS math a language??? Forget it, I don't want to know.

Dang, that's early... Our kids in NC, by law, can't start until August... uh... I forgot that date?? Now when do they go back??

Oh, I homeschool... Rats! Foiled again!

I think I'll offer this as homework on the first day just to get a rise out of them!! LOL We are all Math Illiterate anywho!! No wonder we don't get it... I didn't realize it was another language. Makes me feel better!

My daughter starts 5th grade next week. I hate 5th grade. I don't know why, but it's a difficult year for a lot of kids. Least Kelsey got the teacher we wanted. Good luck this school year.

Here, I'll do his homework, because it's so ridiculous. (It's best as a discussion question... what were they thinking?)
1) Math uses "words" of a sort: symbols that can be put together to have meanings.
2) The order in which you use the words makes them mean different things.
3) If you use the words right, you can communicate a lot; if you use them wrong, you can confuse a lot.
4) There are easy and hard words, and you have to learn the easy ones to understand the hard ones. You can look up the hard ones, too, if you've got the right language dictionary.
5) Just like the same language can be used in lots of different ways (poetry, technical manuals, recipes), the same math can be used for many different goals (balancing a checkbook, sending a rocket into space, adding up the scores on Family Feud).

You know when we go back to school here? Wednesday Sept. 6 for the big kids, the following Monday (that would be the 11th) for the little kids. Everyone. In. The. World. Goes back to school before us. We don't get out til mid-June, though. So that's something?

Signed, Tired Mom

ps -- we always do the great start to the year and the huge backslide, too. If that's any comfort.

Math a language? It must be one of those mensa riddles or something...

My daughter starts 5th grade soon. How scary.