Many children all over the world are on vacation – from school. Let me just remind you of the definition:

va·ca·tion
n.

1. A period of time devoted to pleasure, rest, or relaxation, especially one with pay granted to an employee.
2. 1. A holiday.
   2. A fixed period of holidays, especially one during which a school, court, or business suspends activities.
3. Archaic. The act or an instance of vacating.

I’d like to make teachers right that definition 100 times during their ‘vacation’ and maybe they’ll get a clue.

M is apparently expected to do 75 pages of that math book we received yesterday, read a book, and write a paragraph on each chapter during his “vacation“. Everything is due on the first day of school, and if it’s not, he’ll fail his first report card.

What pisses me of most is the fact the ‘homework’ probably won’t even get marked. Think about it, 28+ kids in his class – 28 books x75 pages. Do you really think that teacher is going to take the time to mark 2100 pages, plus go through the book report of each child? GET FRIGGIN REAL! Not a chance, it’s quite feasible he could do the entire book report in Japanese and she wouldn’t notice.

As it stands, to get the homework finished in time, he has to do 3 pages of math/day (judging by the book, it’s critical thinking so it’s not just going to be 1+1=2 either) Still don’t know what book he needs to read, but let’s assume he needs to write a paragraph a day. BAH! Have you ever tried getting a kid into work mode in the middle of ‘vacation’?

I’ve never liked homework, projects, forced reading etc. as far as I’m concerned this shit should be taken care of at school. M used to read a book a week until the school interfered and forced books on him he had no interest in.

For crying out loud, leave the kids alone during vacation, you have enough time to bust chops and be annoying during the school year.

(yeah yeah , I know I’m a teacher, but I don’t give homework on vacation and very rarely during the school year – I managed to get my stuff done in the classroom)

M’s first month’s tuition is due today. I know this because other parents I’ve talked to have told me. They know because they’ve already gotten a package of instruction from the new school. I on the other hand until this morning, hadn’t gotten anything.

What was in the package? A math book and a note telling me the yearly total for both children! No accompanying letter, no monthly bill, no reading list. I turned the envelope upside down and shook it vigoursouly hoping something else would fall out, tore the envelope in two thinking there might have been a secret compartment in there, but no, nothing.

Do I use the math book as kindling, is it a colouring book for C or a workbook for M?

Did I mention my “package” had originally been sent out on the 6th, but the nitwits at the new school sent it to the wrong address.

I’ve called the school 3 times but the secretary I’m suppose to speak to has either stepped out for a moment, is out to lunch or not in on that particular day. I’ve left a message on thier answering machine but have yet to hear back from them.

I really don’t have any patients when it comes to incompetence, and this isn’t a good start to a school year that hasn’t even started yet.