Homework Overload

I'll be the first to say that having a teaching degree makes me the world's worst critic of teachers and schools. Nothing will ever be perfect enough for my children I suppose. We loved their last school for the most part, and that was one thing that was hard to leave behind. Jamie grew up in that school and I completed my student teaching there along with tons of subbing.

Having only heard wonderful, great, stupendous things about the school here, I was hopeful and optimistic that Jamie and I would only have wonderful, great, and stupendous thoughts about it. Not that the school is "bad", but it is not proving itself to be the vision of perfection that it had been built up to be (at least in the upper elementary). Yea, it is one of the most coveted elementary schools here and has very high state test scores (#5 in the state I believe), but at what expense?

It's been one of those weeks that makes me sit and scratch my head. The kids have been in school for 13 days and this week Micah has been in homework overload (2+ hours each night). I knew homework would pick up a bit this year, but this is crazy! I honestly feel terrible for the kid. Bless Micah's little heart, because he never complains. He just comes home and does whatever needs to be done. I guess Jamie and I are the ones that are complaining (not in front of the kids). I actually contacted the school this week (principal and teacher) about the lack of recess and homework overload. I'm sure it won't help, because I'm merely 1 parent in a school with over 600 students. Yea, I guess I'm going to turn into one of "those" parents. So, my mood about 3rd grade at this school is very much frustrated at this point.

So, I'm very much looking forward to this 3 day weekend!!! Tonight is Movie Night in the Hughes house and we are watching Nim's Island. I think I'm anxious to see it as much as the kids. We are going to eat pizza and watch a movie in our PJ's cuddled up on the couches. What more could I need or want?

The kids have been so proud of their school work that they bring home. Hannah has that kindergarten excitement that is so innocent and precious and Abbi is bringing home some very creative work. Micah made 102% on his spelling test last week and I think he was more proud of that than anything he's done so far.

Here are some work samples from this week:

Micah's hot air balloon. I'm not sure you can see it, but it is very creative and artistic!

Abbi's reading homework where she got compliments from the teacher:

Hannah's family:

and since we can't leave Chloe out....this is what she did at Storytime