Here’s an honest and insightful post by LA mom blogger, Jessica Gottlieb. If you’ve found yourself at a school where its hard to make friends with other moms, read this piece! I can definitely relate to it.
http://jessicagottlieb.com/2012/06/sometimes-having-kids-in-school-only-makes-you-lonlier/
Not long ago, my 5th grade daughter came upstairs and said in a shaky voice that she needed help with her homework, due the next day. This isn’t her usual pattern or demeanor. Normally, she goes into her room and does her homework, popping out if she has a question. So, when I saw her face, I knew she wanted help with the assignment.
“I have to memorize the Preamble to the Declaration Of Independence,” she said in a quivering voice. Handing me a paper with the Preamble on it, she said she needed to understand its words before she could memorize it. The class is studying the American Revolution so the assignment fit with the theme she’s been working on. What didn’t fit was the rote memorization aspect of the homework.
I was reminded why we chose The Willows for our kids. I’ve written about homework previously. The teaching style is incredibly creative and inspiring, using big concepts and ideas to help kids learn. Memorizing is used to support an assignment, not for its own sake or to “make work.” Of course, this was a very worthy homework assignment. It was just atypical for our school. Thankfully, my daughter isn’t used to the type of endless memorization I grew up with.
We sat together on the bed and went though the incredible Preamble, line by line. I explained each premise and we talked about how America is unique and unduplicated because of the Declaration of Independence. I explained the concept of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Thinking about it gave me chills. It is carefully nuanced and profound. It is, at once, both simple and stunningly complex. Imperfect, but as close to perfect as any country has come. This document has powered through the decades, helping define who we are as a nation.
Despite my daughter’s uneasiness with the assignment, I loved sitting with her talking about the history of our country, written in antiquated language we no longer use, but whose eloquence and brilliance still guides our founding principles.
The next morning, my daughter woke up and asked to recite the Preamble. In a sing-song voice, she nailed it. Off to school we went.
After school, I asked her how the test went. “Great” she said as if the previous night had been unnecessary. That’s my girl!
Hi Friends!
Have you purchased your tickets yet for our event next Monday (June 4) at Romp in Hollywood. We have 8 spaces left! Porcha and I are excited to work with Sandy Eiges, a highly regarded educational consultant. We look forward to meeting you and having a great question/answer session!– Christina
Join Momangeles for an informative and fun evening at Romp, a fabulous kids play space in Hollywood as Christina Simon and Porcha Dodson co-authors of Beyond the Brochure,and Sandy Eiges of LA School Scout share their expertise about the private elementary school application process and answer your questions. Read Beyond The Brochure’s Q&A interview with Sandy Eiges here.
Monday, June 4, 2012. Discussion starts at 7:00 pm at Romp, 755 N. Highland, near Melrose. Light appetizers served!
Topics will include:
– Selecting Which Schools To Visit
– The Parent Interview
– Your Child’s Visiting/Testing Day
– Letters of Recommendation
– When To Use The Phrase, “if accepted, we will enroll”
– What To Do If Your Child Is Wait-Listed
– Financial Aid
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit:
http://demystifyingjune.eventbrite.com/
See what LA City Mom says about this event! She’s an LA private elementary school mom too.
Our fabulous contributor/guest blogger Jenny Heitz has been super-busy. She got married! She also moved to a new house in the hills of Los Feliz, from a bigger house in Hancock Park. Yes, that’s correct, Jenny downsized in L.A. (gasp!). Check out her new blog series about the new house and what she’s doing to fix it up on her style blog, Find A Toad. We know once it’s complete, Jenny’s unique, modern sense of style will transform her new space into a very cool family house! Unfortunately, she realized they moved without a coffee maker, but she found an awesome espresso maker that would make a great house-warming gift.
Meanwhile, end of the year at Mirman is upon her. Read on:
Once your kid has been in private school for at least a year, you recognize it: the end of the year slog toward the summer break finish line.
It’s as if all the private school powers that be got together and decided: enough learning, we must have ceremony, and lots of it! Thus, at Mirman, we had the Pops Concert, followed by the Spring Fair, followed by Colonial Day (presentations given by Room 5 students in full colonial regalia), followed by a music recital (skipped this; my daughter isn’t playing an instrument), followed by Open House (Mulholland and the 405 at rush hour: such fun). Soon, there’s a violin concert, the Upper School play, and then the massive number of matriculation and awards ceremonies. Finally, there’s Field Day, the final day of school that’s all about play.
Just reading the last paragraph, much less writing it, makes me long for a solid nap. Don’t get me wrong, I love Mirman and what it’s done for my daughter, but driving up there from Los Feliz makes me break out in hives. And having to haul up there repeatedly over a two month span of time during critical traffic hours has brought new levels of road rage to the surface. What happened to spreading these things out, to moderation? Why was Open House the same night as Obama’s visit to George Clooney’s estate? Why bother asking why? My daughter’s lucky to go there.
I’ve written in the past about how wonderful it is to have a bus route from the east side, so that we no longer have to carpool 4X a week. But, the bus has spoiled us rotten. Now that we don’t have to schlep up to the campus constantly, the occasional sojourn is that much more painful. While I realize that road construction is a temporary state of affairs, it has made the commute, even done occasionally, a total unpredictable nightmare.
I also wonder a bit about families with two intensely working parents: how do they cope? I work from home and have a flexible schedule; I still have a bad attitude about the drive and the constant events. How do doctors, lawyers, bankers, and anyone else with a “normal” job manage it? Are you tag teaming the events, or perhaps letting relatives fill in? Really, I want to know.
In the meantime, we will schlep. And slog. And clap for our matriculating kids. And, finally, welcome summer and some sort of sleeping in.
Jenny Heitz has worked as a staff writer for Coast Weekly in Carmel, freelanced in the South Bay, and then switched to advertising copywriting. Jenny is a graduate of Crossroads. Her daughter started 4th grade at Mirman School last year. She previously attended 3rd St. Elementary School. Jenny has been published recently in the Daily News and on Mamapedia, The Well Mom, Sane Moms, Hybrid Mom, The Culture Mom and A Child Grows In Brooklyn. She now writes about gift ideas and products on her blog, Find A Toad.