Re: For those with kids in Primary School-compare and contrast
 

No! It's an advantage... as the 'French Immersion-er' you can speak French with your friends on the phone or right there in front of your parents and plan how you're going to skip school the next day or what sort of sh!t disturbing you've got planned for the weekend and pepper it with all sorts of swearing... and the folks smile... they're so proud. :rofl:

I never found it a problem that my parents didn't speak French. I don't think many of the parents of the kids in my school spoke French.

Re: For those with kids in Primary School-compare and contrast
 

Sometimes yes.

My niece in Duncan B.C. was in grade nine and asked to be removed from FI because she felt she was not doing as well in core subjects as she her "english speaking" friends. Part of the reason for this no-one spoke French at home and most of her neighborhood friends weren't in FI. She is now in grade 12 and doing much better academically and is a much happier person.

They pulled their younger son out of FI after about three years for similar reasons and he was having real behavior issues. He's also is now doing much better in an English only environment.

So FI may be good for some but not all.

Cheers
Steve

Re: For those with kids in Primary School-compare and contrast
 

Hey Mrs. Miggins.

I feel for your son.

If my OH, the kids and I do this thing, later this year, it will be MY third time emigrating across the Atlantic. When I was a kid (in Toronto) I was put ahead a year, due to being quite smart. When I went to Northern Ireland, I was put into fourth form with kids all my own age (although technically, I was a year ahead I guess.) I excelled in my first year of (disputably U.K.) high school, winning all sorts of awards and accolades, but the next year, I pretty much went the way of the hallion. The year previous, I was sharing a classroom with kids who could BARELY read... Why should I try hard, this (fifth form) year?

It was a secondary school, a Catholic school, and to this day I really wish I was given a chance to go to the grammar school just across the road. I still went on to do my A levels and did some university (then discovered I HATED university, as I was put in a year above what I should have been - oh well!)

To sum up, I think, in the beginning of my UK education, I excelled (due to being put in a class with kids academically and socially years behind me), then stalled, then excelled again (due to great A-level teachers) then ultimately gave up because I couldn't take the pressure of university studying. I am still a smart guy and not afraid to admit it, but in the end, it would be nice if two commonwealth countries could get their sh*t together and recognise each other's educational systems and perhaps even bring them into line.

And don't get me started on the professional sector following suit...

Nonetheless, I have noticed myself, long before this thread that in Toronto, they seem to get our kids thinking socially, but perhaps too much. I feel that it is up to us as parents to do the social stuff - you know - HANG OUT with our kids, while the schools should concentrate more on the academics, with us "topping" that up at home.

To share an example - I have been helping my son with his homework - he's five, so we're not talking quadratic equations - but I was APPALLED that he can't write his numbers. Not taking the p*iss :rofl: out of him, but I can't believe they aren't teaching him really basic math stuff. Math is a language and should be treated as such....

Oh Jesus, I'm ranting, I'm so sorry...

U.K. here we come... god help them all..

Re: For those with kids in Primary School-compare and contrast
 

Short note on FI... I was talking to a kid on a streetcar (AKA trams, public transit vehicles in Toronto) and he was in FI. He told me that they do math like this - (I hope I understood him correctly)

Quatre plus quatre est huit.

To me that's french gone wild; math is its own language, hence: 4 + 4 = 8

Oy yoy yoy. (to coin a phrase in some distant language I have no understanding of)

Please feel free to correct my "french math" and grammar. It's off the top of my head.:huh:

Re: For those with kids in Primary School-compare and contrast
 

I just thought that you may be interested to know what's happening with the little lad now.....

As you all know I have been really underwhelmed by the school we chose here, I have had concerns over the kids (after him being beaten up by two grade 1 girls), the academics, after repeatedly asking for reading books to be sent home and still not happening, and to be honest the teachers attitude to the kids (She mentioned that he had stopped talking for three weeks after she had a little word with him about class participation) when I asked him about it last night, he told me he was scared of her, and only speaks now, when nobody else has their hands up...

So we are moving him to a Catholic school after our reading week here on the 25th of February. They are prepared to stretch a gifted child, rather than keep him down, they are more than happy to work with a child that is the one who gets bullied, and help raise esteem and skills in that area, and they are also really pro kids who aren't the jocks, but the thoughtful, bookish type.

So that's my news, oh, and it's across the road, there are no nuns at it (I still have nightmares about them) and that my little lad is well up for it.

Ill let you know how it goes, we met with the head today, whos a paddy like myself, and we'll meeting Master Miggins new teacher this week....

Hope you are all well,
Take care
(A RELIEVED)
Mrs Miggins

Re: For those with kids in Primary School-compare and contrast
 

Glad to hear things are looking up Mrs. M I'm sure Master Miggins will be a lot happier:thumbup:

Wonder if you or anyone else have any thoughts on this. I'm a little worried about my little lad (he's 5). His teacher wanted a word today she thinks he has a problem with his fine motor skills and wants to get him assessed by an occupational therapist. She had mentioned this problem last year but she thought it was just something he'd grow out of. Her main issue seems to be the way he holds his pencil. She also said the Gym teacher thinks he has a problem with his Gross Motor Skill too, I thought he was just a little clumsy at times. I'm a little skeptical of therapists after I was told by a speech therapist that his language skills were delayed (he wasn't even 2 years old at the time) if you heard him talk you'd laugh he even corrects me if I pronounce a dinosaur name incorrectly :eek:

Bloody kids always something to worry about.

Re: For those with kids in Primary School-compare and contrast
 

I think we know where he gets the "clumsy" from!
:rofl::rofl:

Re: For those with kids in Primary School-compare and contrast
 

well yes a certain amount is genetic:eek:

Re: For those with kids in Primary School-compare and contrast
 

Very best wishes for this move Mrs M. Let us know how it goes.

I tried this route in November, but the head teacher of the Catholic School adamently would not accept new kids in this academic year (who had already got a place at a public school) because the funding for each child had already been allocated. If I had lied and said we had just arrived in the country, he would have taken them both :mad: But I was free to apply for Sept 08 :huh:

Re: For those with kids in Primary School-compare and contrast
 

I would jump at the opportunity with open arms.

I have a son (12) who I thought had this problem from a very early age. I tried and tried to get the school to recognize it and get him the appropriate assessment/help. It was all to no avail as because he is bright and was alway near to top of his class he never "qualified" for any extra attention.

He is now at High School and has finally been properly assessed and diagnosed as dyslexic/dyspraxic. Again, he is achieving academically so does not qualify for any extra help (funding wise), but the school are going the extra mile and have given him extra support anyway.

Had he had this extra support at age 5, he may not have been getting any better grades in most of his subjects, but his learning would have been better geared up to his needs so he may have had a happier time of it, and perhaps his handwriting would not look like a spider crawled across the page.

After all, if he is assessed and there is no problem, you have the reassurance anyway.

Re: For those with kids in Primary School-compare and contrast
 

Totally agree, get the testing done if nothing shows up then you know there is nothing to worry about. on the other hand if they find a problem they can catch it early.

My son's teacher noticed he had problems and it took until he was 10 to be diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome - the struggles it could have solved if he had been diagnosed earlier.

Fiona

Re: For those with kids in Primary School-compare and contrast
 

Whole heartedly agree; :thumbup: my older children have a learning problem or two, including dyslexia/dyspraxia/add/adhd, so when my 5 yr olds teacher last week mentioned his fine and gross motor skills were a little delayed I was not concerned, rather relived; the earlier the intervention the less impact on their self esteem.

In the UK I fought the system the whole time to get the learning difficulty assessed and assisted. :thumbsup: Long term outcome, one at Uni in the UK (all be it delayed, he is 24) ; one waiting to start September in Canada (again delayed now 20) and one in grade 11, hopefully on track. :)

Re: For those with kids in Primary School-compare and contrast
 

I have a cynical fear of clinics using borderline kids as tools to get funding from the healthcare system. (No patients = no money.)

On the one hand, it's nice that they show concern, but I wonder how many parents worry needlessly because someone, somewhere, is a little over-zealous.

From another standpoint, I realise the value in "knowing" that everything is ok, but as far as you (we) saw it, everything WAS ok beforehand.

The double edged sword here is that if there is no problem, your kids may not like that you (we) have made them jump through hoops to get (as they see it) validation from strangers.

It's wise to listen, but unwise to act on everything you listen to.

Re: For those with kids in Primary School-compare and contrast
 

Thank you everyone for the replies :thumbup: I guess I'll wait and see what they say once he's been assessed. He's such a bright little boy and I hate the thought that he may have a problem but as you have said it's better to know sooner rather than later. I'll let you know how it goes.

Re: For those with kids in Primary School-compare and contrast
 

Hope it goes well for you its so upsetting when you have an unhappy child, wish you all the best :wub: