[LIT] How to respond to the age old question....

[kimberlee hannan]

I would love to send out a postcard or letter to my kids before school
starts. Better yet; In their native languages.  But, alas,  don't get my
list of students until the day school starts.  I do the million word or less
homework letter with the parents.  But about the time I get that back, the
great classroom leveling switch has begun and I am back to starting over
with half of my kids.

My district is notorious for doing everything at the last possible minute.
My principal wants to do a "boot camp" the first two weeks of school.  It
might be an interesting idea, as long as we don't drill "parts of speech"
or test practice, which are asinine in the first place.  Each department
would take a necessary study skill or prerequisite skill and teach it hard
for two weeks.  Then by the time we are ready for regular curriculum, the
classes have been leveled, the new teachers hired or gone.  Then we can
truly begin.  I would like to spend some time that two weeks showing them
how to organize their agenda (mandatory here) and how to organize study
time.


Kim
-------
Kimberlee Hannan
Department Chair
Sequoia Middle School
resno, California 93702


Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, let go of what you can't
change, kiss slowly, play hard, forgive quickly, take chances, give
everything, have no regrets.. Life's too short to be anything but happy.

kxhanna at fresno.k12.ca.us