rules, schmooles

Rules are everywhere. That's just how the world rolls. I like rules.

Face it, you have to have rules or there would be total anarchy everywhere. Most rules are reasonable. Some are simply for your safety. Many are just common sense but folks, nevertheless, need them written down.

Of course, there will always be those who don't like rules.  A few weeks ago, here in New Zealand, a jerky kid was suspended because he did not comply with the rules of his school that said his hair has to be above his collar. He decided he didn't want to cut his hair.

Now any responsible parent would sit him down and say, 'Look, kid, that's life. It's full of rules. Harden up, son,  and cut your hair.'  But did his parents do that? Noooo. They decided that he didn't have to abide by rules. So he didn't cut his hair. He got suspended. They went to court.

How pathetic is that?

And to make things worse, the ignorant courts told him that the school was WRONG to suspend him.  Now what sort  of message does that send to every student at his school and those around the country?

Today, the school was told it has to pay the jerky kid's legal fees, about $24,000. What is this world coming to? rules http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11279953

 I do hope his irresponsible parents have given him a trust fund because I can't imagine him keeping a job for more than a few days. Those pesky rules will get in his way.

Can't be done in NZ

There is a new reality tv show from Australia starting soon called 'MasterChef Junior'. Like all the reality shows, there can only be one young winner. I'm not sure that I agree that kids should be subject to such things. But I do know one thing. That program would never work in NZ.

In NZ, you are taught from the get-go that everybody is a winner. Everybody gets recognition. What we used to call 'graduation' (that was only for your last year in school) is called 'prizegiving' because, you guessed it, everybody gets a prize (your grades and any accomplishments on a sheet of paper). Everybody gets to come up on the stage. Every year. From the lowest grades to the highest, each student gets at least one piece of paper. I don't know the criteria for not being on stage, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't happen very often.

In addition, you are taught that you don't have to do what you don't want to do. Seriously. Some kid flunked a test because he knew the material and did the first couple of questions but decided he didn't have to do the rest because it was repetitive. Never mind that doing all the problems of the test showed his ability to follow directions and complete a task. He just didn't feel like finishing it. I guess the teacher failed to mention that your grade was based on all the questions and not just the ones you answered.

 It saddens me to think what the school system is doing to our children. I suppose many of the students here in NZ will be having a huge eye-opener the first time they get chewed out or fired for not doing what they are told. I've tried to tell  the school authorities that they should be more realistic, but to no avail. I'm just glad that Otterboy has learned a lot about responsibility. I know he will fare much better than most in his class.

This and that...

Why in the world is there a health warning on the new keyboard we bought the other day? I think I (along with my doctor) could eventually figure out the problem if my wrists and hands started giving me problems.

Grace, out latest cat--who was suppose to have been fixed when we got her from the humane society--still hasn't had her kittens yet. I wish she'd hurry up! I can't wait to photograph them! Hubby keeps saying that if she's just fat, he's going to be mad! 

Earlier this year, Missy decided to live with her mom (H) full time. A short while later, Otterboy decided to live with us. NZ law says that if we have shared custody (like we used to have, with both the kids alternating one week at each house) then each house will support the kids with their own income. Now that there is one child at each house, you'd think it was the same, but nope, it's not. H has petitioned for child support and will get some. We counter-filed but haven't got the paperwork yet. I don't think H has thought things through because we will be entitled to support for Otterboy for two years after Missy is ineligible. Even though it's very stressful, it's quite an interesting situation and I am just praying that God will work it out the best way. If you join me, I'd appreciate it.

The snow has disappeared from our yard garden. I can't say I'm upset about that, though. It was fun to see it and I have some good pictures, so if it's another six years before I see that much again, I'll be happy.

A very dear friend of mine who knew I love to cook made me a cookbook a few years ago, not long before he died. He hand printed several hundred recipes and sent it to me in the mail. I was so touched by all that time and effort! 

I have decided that his work should not have been in vain, so I am typing them all out to put on the internet for others to appreciate along with me. It's got some weird stuff--lots of rabbit and game recipes, to mention some. When I started typing it, I gave myself a year to get them all done, but I have about two-thirds of them typed out already, so keep your eyes peeled for the grand announcement here in the near future.

I think I mentioned before that I tutor at SeniorNet (either here or on FB, I can't remember which). Anyway, I enjoy being involved there. It's quite obvious that I am one of the younger active members because I actually thing of 'google' as a verb! When we got the command from higher-up to set up a website, I made a simple blog page, despite the thought that 'nobody will see it because they need us to learn how to find a webpage'! They were quite impressed, although it was 'just another blog' to me!  You can see it here.

Oh, yeah, the schools rescheduled the whole school year in NZ so that the kids can be off for the World Rugby League games next summer. Just another reason that I am sure the educational system here is wonky.

Grace has decided to lay on my chest and I only have one hand to type so I will take it as a sign to stop typing and post this.

It's the silly season

The 'silly season' is that time in the summer when news is slow and reporting resorts to those stories not usually given another thought. It has, indeed, begun.

It started with the last week of 'school'. Years 9 and 10 had yet another week of no learning which is, instead, turned into an 'optional' activities week. Otterboy chose to watch movies all week, while being filled with crap 'snacks' provided by the school. Hrumph.  And, once again, our fine Stratford High School took it upon themselves to decide what would be shown and the kids got to see 'Zombieland'. It is rated 'R' (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1156398/ ) and the school showed it to 14 and 15 year olds. When we discussed it with other parents at a dinner, the general concensus was, 'they don't care and won't ever change.'

On a lighter note, we had the annual food bank donation drive last week. The city police cars and fire trucks rode up and down every street of the city with their sirens on while volunteers collected bags of food that we left beside our mailboxes. I think that's a very cool thing for the community to do and this year was their biggest collection ever!!

It rained a bit yesterday and today, for the first time in several weeks. It has been so long that the city was already on restriction for watering outside.  I would think the city could look into collecting the rain that fell for days on end last winter.  But it's really not that bad for us since we are not into gardening much at all this year.

Getting lots of Australian TV programs has introduced me to a great Australian comic named Wil Anderson. His stand-up uses a lot of 'f' bombs, but the man is FUNNY!!! Here's his website, http://www.wilanderson.com.au/.

We plan to get another cat after our holiday at the end of January. But until then, I decided to see how much I could lure the neighbor's cat into our lives. (Shame on me for being so vengeful because he said such nasty things about our poor Phred when he died). I believe we have lured Biskit (that's what we call him) as much as he will be lured. He comes into our house and wanders around, tentatively, when he thinks nobody's there. Our computer is in an extra bedroom down the hall and one day, I saw his little face peering around the doorframe but he was out the door before I could catch up! He also climbs up the privacy fence to get to the roof, like Phred did, but when he sees me in the patio door, he climbs straight down and expects some kitty love scratches. I used to think he came to get the milk we put out for him, but he just likes some attention. He won't ever be a house cat, but I'm pleased that he enjoys our company.

There has been a rash of bicycle accidents around the country, mostly in Auckland, the biggest city. The first thing that 'they' (whoever 'they' are) decided was that drivers need to be taught better how to share the roads. I think we would all be better served by teaching people to look before they open their car doors into traffic so the bikes don't have to swerve into traffic to avoid the door. A little courtesy goes a long way.

I"m still trying to get into 'the spirit' of the holidays, although, I've never been one to get into the over-decorating or over-buying. I guess I'm way too pragmatic for that. I might not get all pumped up for just one day of the year, but I do appreciate the Reason for the Season and the fact that God works all year round and not just at Christmas time.

NZ school system sucks...still

A few months ago, I posted an article about the NZ school system (click here to read it) that suggested raising the bar to get into university. I don't know about other districts, but I do know I have a few suggestions about Stratford High School.

The first one would be to actually have classes for the whole school year. I realize that this is a radical idea, but it might just work. See if you follow my train of thought....

The school year, this year, is suppose to end on the 10th of December. Missy's last actual 'class' will be on Friday, the 12th of November, because she has final exams spread over the next few weeks. Apparently, the school is not equipped to actually keep her in class and give the tests at the same time, so her whole class has 'study leave' for almost a whole month. 

The 'seniors' (grades 11-13) 'prize-giving' (that's the equivalent of 'awards night' for those not familiar with the term) is Thursday. During school time. But only after having at least one 'practice' for it--making at least 2 days that Missy could be in class. 

Obviously, this schedule upset has thrown off the whole school because Otterboy and the other 'juniors' (grades 9-10) have the day off. I mean, gee, who would have seen this annual day coming?

My second suggestion for Stratford High School is yet another radical idea. It is to actually read the transcripts of the incoming students and use those to place the 9th graders juniors in the correct class. I'm pretty sure that the primary schools keep records. And, I'm equally sure that they are, for the most part, accurately kept. I think it would be a nice gesture to actually put them to use. I bet the teachers who wrote them would be thrilled to know they are used instead of simply taking up file drawer space. This would give the high school a whole extra year to actually teach the kids something instead of herding them all into classes for a year to babysit and then determine the classes they need.

I have another suggestion for teachers: Appreciate and encourage your students who are eager to learn more than the rest of the class. Otterboy is a typical teenage boy, but when he comes home and complains that he's bored because he's done all the work and the teacher doesn't take enough interest in him to keep him focused in the subject, it breaks my heart.

Now I know this is a lot for the school to comprehend--especially, when they can't even put enough effort into their permission slips to tell me everything I need to know before I turn my precious child over to their care. But, they need to start somewhere. Enough students have been cheated.

Let them in or they will go bad...

According to this article,
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/3760187/Uni-rules-may-force-pupils-on-to-dole , apparently kids will become welfare bums if they don't get into University. That should be reason enough not to raise the bar on entrance exams. (Where is that sarcasm font when you need it?)

It's unbelievable to me that anyone would actually make such a statement, but that's the latest comment on raising the bar on University entrance exams. But, then it's a typical Kiwi attitude.

In case you didn't know, I am not exactly in love with the NZ school system. (Just click 'school system' in my label cloud on the left and you can find out for sure.) I can appreciate that today's society needs kids that know it's ok to say 'no' to different situations. And I laud the system for teaching children how to deal with their emotions and those of others.

But, the 'touchy feely' attitude has gotten NZ a culture of kids who decide that anybody who doesn't agree with them is 'bullying' them. It's an opinion, get over it.

And, it's also gotten kids who rationalize that if it 'makes me uncomfortable' I don't have to do it. Sure, that works when your mates want to you to drive the get-away car for a robbery or if you are being pressured into having sex before you are ready.  But just because you're too lazy to learn to spell or multiply doesn't mean you can rationalize it and choose not to bother!

What I see are complacent little space-holders who have no desire to do anything that is not absolutely required.

What happened to teaching kids to take pride in themselves by trying something they didn't think they could do and succeeding? What happened to challenging kids to go 'above and beyond'? Most importantly, what happened to telling kids they are wrong and need to correct themselves?

Isn't that the reason that they go to school?  After all, if they didn't need to have someone evaluate their performance, then why aren't they out working and supporting themselves instead of leeching off adults? Food is expensive, you know.

Oh, yes....it's because they are children. They do not have the capacity to make such decisions and that's why they have parents. And teachers. So, why is the NZ school system letting these children call the shots? Is society afraid of hurting their widdle feelings?

Why aren't the teachers circling misspelled words with BIG, RED circles, like the olden days when I was a student, and expecting them to spell it right next time instead of just adding a small note at the bottom that says, 'you need to work on your spelling' with a smiley face? Where is the 'F' (or should I say 'I'--we don't want to warp their personality)  because the student didn't bother to follow the rules or do half of the work?


I am all for raising the bar for university entrance exams. That means that the high schools will need to do a better job. And the primary schools will have to do better.  


If the kids have truly 'worked hard' (as in the article) and still can't get in, then DUH! they obviously haven't worked hard enough and someone needs to redirect their work.


This article makes me wonder what a University Degree is worth in NZ if the requirements are so low to begin with?

Petty teachers in NZ

I have mentioned how sucky the NZ school system is before here and in this post and also here.

And now I am totally ashamed of the principals and teachers. They are being so arrogant and self-absorbed. Here, read for yourself:

Threat to fudge exam results

By NATHAN BEAUMONT - The Dominion Post

Schools are threatening to fudge test results and find the easiest tests possible to boost results and undermine the introduction of the Government's controversial national standards.

Hundreds of primary school principals have said they will boycott the Government's flagship policy unless changes are made to limit public access to schools' performance data.

Under the policy, pupils from years 1 to 8 will be assessed in numeracy and literacy against national academic standards, with performance data publicly available under the Official Information Act.

The Government has abandoned plans to fully introduce national standards in primary and intermediate schools next year, with schools not having to report back to officials on pupils' performance against the standards until 2012.

However, parents will still have to be told how their child is performing against the standards from the beginning of next year.

Principals are still concerned about the prospects of league tables and have aired their thoughts about possible ways to undermine them on an Education Ministry website forum.

Paul Heffernan, principal of Auckland's Laingholm Primary School, wrote on the forum: "We are going to teach the easiest test we can find. We are going to re-teach and re-teach baby.

"We will even fudge the results big time. My school is going to be top school on the league table so that my community will know I run a brilliant school. Parents will flock to my door. To hell with anything creative. And don't say this won't happen. It sure did with NCEA."

Auckland's Summerland Primary School principal Luke Sumich, who started the discussion, was pleased so many of his colleagues were having their say.

"We need to get our concerns clearly expressed and into the hearts and minds of parents and politicians. If we could all speak with one majority voice, perhaps then [Education minister] Mrs Tolley might accept that parents do not want league tables just ready access to their child's data."

He had not decided if the standards were good or bad but was annoyed with the prospect of league tables being produced.

"If you are in a poor area but the school does an amazing job, I may not get good results on a league table. They assume that a school ranked higher than its neighbour is performing better. They assume better teaching, but it does not tell the full story."

Mrs Tolley said most of the sector was working constructively with officials to raise pupils' achievement levels.

"Parents have made it clear that they support national standards."

It means that principals will cheat on the tests to make themselves look good if everybody gets to see the results.

Well, if they did their jobs correctly, they would be able to stand on their own merit!

A Kiwi education?

My first impressions of the New Zealand school system was 10-year-old Otterboy not being able to read the comments I wrote in his book because he wasn't ever taught cursive writing. Not impressed at all.

Since then, I have had to make sure that both he and Missy used correct punctuation, since bad grammar of any kind was rarely corrected on their work and they were never marked down for not using capital letters or punctuation. What am I saying? They don't even get marks here...just that #&$@# 'good work' crap that doesn't teach them a thing except that they don't have to put in any effort if they don't want to.

I was an evil stepmom and made them both memorize their multiplication tables. What an ordeal! But, at least they see that it was a good thing after all.

The spelling words that Otterboy has in 8th grade are pitifully under his grade level and don't even come close to the ones that are his level according to the internet.

It's a wonder they learn anything at all, since his class (and Missy's too at that age) was off on some field trip every other week and swimming 3 or 4 out of 5 days the last three weeks of the school year. And, don't even get me started on the money for these trips.

I did complain to the Ministry of Education and the principal spent an hour and a half proving that he did all that was required of him. He's a nice guy, but he was so defensive and never really answered any of our concerns.

I know that year-round schooling takes different structuring than what I was used to in the States, but I still feel that we pay teachers to teach them. In the classroom. So going on a week-long trip before the first month of school is over every year is not my idea of teaching.

Missy spent her first year of high school (9th grade) just going through the motions because the class was so disruptive that the teachers couldn't teach without other adults in the classroom.

Now in her second year of high school, she is streamed into more appropriate classes and she's enjoying most of them. Yes, she is pretty smart, but I still fear she won't be prepared for the real world in a few years.

I was talking to a lady whose daughter graduated last year from this same high school and she had to have tutors at university just to get through her first year.

Another lady said that she thought the NCEA testing has lowered it's expectations so that more of the kids could be considered for uni. Sadly, I fear she is right.

I just don't know about this Kiwi school system. But, then, I suppose it probably isn't worse than any other place. Am I worrying for nothing? *sigh*

Still in the dark...

I have been here in NZ for almost three years, now, and I still have to ask the children to decipher the papers they bring home. I'm not enthralled with some parts of the NZ education system, anyway, so I shouldn't be surprised.

It's not like we don't all speak English. It's that the writers of the papers (and the newspaper, too, for that matter, but I digress....) apparently think you're psychic or have had children doing the same activities in the past and they don't want to bore you with details.

A couple of weeks ago, Otterboy brought home some papers for an overnight stay in Wellington. It said when they were leaving and how much it costs and when to have the money in and 'please return this permission slip' blah, blah, blah... It didn't mention what adults were going, how many adults were going or even where they were going to stay, but we were to make sure the permission slip was turned in asap. You can bet I emailed the principal and I got a prompt response with all the info I requested before we signed the paper.

I just don't get it...do NZer's send their kids off to anything the school offers and assume it's all ok because it's from the school? If they do, shame on them!

I have emailed both the primary school and the high school in our district and explained that they should quit assuming that parents have gone through these things before. I had a one-on-one with a teacher and explained to her that I have not done this before and giving too much information is infinitely better than not enough.

The New Zealand school system sucks

It has been a very long time since I've been to school, but not long enough that I don't remember some of my school days. I know the world has moved along in a big way since those days, but I would have thought that some things wouldn't have a need to change--or at least, not a lot.

My children are 11 and 13 now. But neither have been taught 'cursive writing'. You know, the way adults write when there's not a keyboard handy, the way you sign your name or jot down a quick list for the store--that's cursive, when the letters are connected and you don't raise your pen or pencil from the paper until the whole word is finished.

The first time I signed the younger one's home sampler book, he about had a stroke wondering what I had done to his book because he couldn't read it! I had to translate it for him.

Now, I distinctly remember learning in Miss Gillerlaine's class in second grade [that's age 7 or thereabouts]. It seemed logical and made me feel important to write like grownups. But, they don't do that here.

Apparently, students their age can 'connect' letters if they feel like it when they do their schoolwork, but that's as far as it goes up til 8th grade. I suppose one could argue that it's not important in this age, but the fact remains that those of us that actually write in cursive are still around and they will be so SOL when they have to decypher it one day.