I just want this year to be cupcakes and assimilation for culture. I'm serious. I don't give a hoot about academics right now.... But.... The school is a little lost on what to do with her. They didn't call me in for conference or whatever, but she blew the lid on the first set of tests and now they are administering Otis Lennon to try to figure her out. It's going to take a little time for her stuff to come back from the district look-see...but in the meantime.... Anyone have anything personal/experiences to say about accuracy or comments on that particular assessment? Like I said, this year for her is just about adjusting for me, everything is so different here, it's like a 5th grade "gap" year. I just want her to chill and play nice and like school. We can go all rigor next year. I just want playgrounds and swing sets for now.

I guess the deal is, is "if you get married on the playground" then you *have to* go to the dance together at the end of the year. I asked her, "So, like...do you guys have playground lawyers if they want to get divorced or what?" I have never ever heard of this before...boy the things we are learning this year. Cupcakes and assimilation.

Kid comes home today from school, and tells me she's invited to *another* wedding at lunch tomorrow. "What, Wedding?" "Ya Ma, kids get married on the playground, bridesmaids and everything.." Huh? Has anyone else ever heard of this "5th grade marriage" ceremony before? I'm so flustered, we never got invitations, I don't know if we're to send a gift, card..what..... Does anyone know the etiquette of these things?

If it's helpful... For those of you facing uncertain funding, go through your loans, credit cards, etc. Find out what is going to happen to you if you cannot meet payments due to furlough/firing/ whatever. We have policies we pay extra for for forbearance in times like this, they can defer payments for hardships until things are settled and in place again. Make some lists, get the information and phone numbers ready. It's hard to think about this stuff when there is so much tension and uncertainty.

I'm packing. If it's not resolved by Monday a.m., he's fired. It's not looking good.

What we all like about this school is the very tight expectations. There is no cross-talking, it's straight up instruction and on task for major stuff. I think we are in an area where discipline is pretty lax in most households, so the school is set up to deal with that issue. It is very disciplined, and she functions really well in an orderly environment, so it's all bonus from there. It's seriously clean inside, updated, well cared for. It's not luxury, just extremely well maintained, and everyone is on the same page. I'm not sensing political issues within the school either, it's all very veteran and team orientated. She has a few girls she talks to on the playground at recess, but there isn't much time for socializing. I'm okay with that, the drama is very low key so far. A few cultural issues to deal with, but that's how it is. Not a ton of homework either, just one or two sheets of reinforcement math. I'm good with that as well as the day is very long for her. Seems just about right and better than I'd hoped for. She's really tired at the end of the day. Fell asleep in the chair taking her shoes off a few days ago. The adjustment is taking a lot longer than I thought it might originally. The bus ride home takes about 40 minutes, and in the humidity and heat, that's a bummer with no AC, take a lot out of a kid.

Going into week 3 of PS here. Biggest changes here are environment. Extremely strict atmosphere in this school (I jokingly call it West Point) - academics are very middle of the road for the traditional grade level, they do have pull out for art, a very nice science lab and music. These are three things her previous PS did not have. The biggest "losses" here are no grammar instruction, and there is a boatload of testing. I've had to scale back and decide what is mission critical for afterschooling as I've seen her work come home. With the loss of grammar, that's one, and the second is math support for her needs.

Nicholson Baker Argues that Algebra II Shouldn’t Be a Required Course http://harpers.org/blog/2013/08/nicholson-baker-argues-that-algebra-ii-shouldnt-be-a-required-course/

Every once in a while I stare at the ceiling and say, "Thank God for these two women." I think it a lot, but never say it. So...here's a written thank you. For everything. :)

I think I get it...thank you. Everything on the circle made complete sense but that one, it seemed somehow out of pattern with no reason...but I get it now. I think there was something about the 3/4/6 pattern that was throwing me off, even though it was in an entirely different spot for function. The explanation helped a lot! Thanks! I'm absolutely amazed at how rigid my mind seems to be with this stuff, I have to work 25x harder than the kid does at getting it and keeping it. Tomorrow I will start squares, it'll probably take me a week with constant review to learn it.

Wapti, I used those links and those are a good start point. Regentrude, I've been seeing different types of square roots talked about beyond single digit positive or perfect. This is for me to learn, so those AoPS are going to be a good place for me to start. I am stuck on one thing though on what I'm trying to finish, and that is the "why" of the formula on a unit circle at the 270 degree mark. The formula is 3pi/2 - I get all the other ones except that one. (insert three year old whiny voice..) Why is it 3pi over 2? WwwwhhhHHy? :confused1: What is the relationship there? I'll attack it all again tomorrow. I have the circle memorized, everything makes sense except that one right there.

Just that one topic. Nailing square root math functions. Any suggestions?

Yep, it's like that here. 10 check outs per household. The only workarounds I know of are to sign up with online libraries, take advantage of e books. You've actually got it good.

I mean more specifically, start a new email account.

Probably just need to trash it if you can't get rid of it. Start over.

Well, if they wanted it to really count for anything, they'd be tweeting it Scarlett, rather than random net stuff. At least there you can be archived into the Library of Congress for posterity instead of some iced out server in the ocean.

It's just been on my mind lately, that studying history has a certain ironic benefit to it. Example, last night I was watching a BBC series on Queen Victoria. Off to the side was a stack of books, among them some suffragate titles and the book 1491. (I try to read a few pages during commericals) In 1491 they talk about these great lost civiilzations, right? Then up on the BBC they are all chattering about these amazing castles, Prince Charles is walking through his gardens stressing the importance of organic farming. The clash of worlds to me was strong. Sati in Indian history (this, where women would impale themselves on a fire pyre and burn alive) - vs. women in history trying to vote. Prince Charles talking about the loss of organic gardening vs. 1491...many of the sites which are still being discovered. Just the rise and fall of empires and how ridiculous it all looks over a six hundred year period there alone... Ever get like that? Different points in history, the things people were creating war and strife for...and the result is what?? Not much. Then the genealogist in me wakes up and says..."Um. Wrong. All of it was important. Every second."

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Hmm. I'm understanding Register and Read as all of the titles here (1263 invdividuals)- maybe some content is restricted still? The new beta search came up for me today and I must say, I had a fine time. :) http://about.jstor.org/rr

Library hounds will recognize it. If you don't: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSTOR You can now register to read, no cost. In a place like this, it's an absolute Godsend. Just thought I'd do a PSA for it. Great stuff.

Hey Hello! Yes we missed you! I'm so glad to hear about this. Sometimes stepping away and letting *one* thing get taken to the limit is a good idea! This is really cool. He's been stewing and blending! Yay! :hurray:

Go check the news. :( http://www.cnn.com/

Chocolate. Don't mess with my chocolate. Linder.

I used to take care of this little boy that had never eaten at a table, literally. I used to have a supply of paper bags from McDonalds and had to tuck his dinner in that to get him to eat. He wouldn't eat anything else.

I could open canned jars of ravoli and serve it cold for all it matters some days. Pfft. :cursing: How about you?