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| At least the roses in the garden are blooming |
The end of the school year is looming, and June is blooming....chaotic.
There's a delicious blog post gone viral at the moment over here, by American blogger Jen Hatmaker, called Worst End of School Year Mom Ever. It's hilarious and I'm sure applies to UK mothers just as well as to US, although I know it isn't quite End of School Year time yet in the UK. But just you wait.
Jen's rant has struck a chord with so many people, because as the last couple of weeks approach, we're being bombarded with requests for teacher gifts, final projects, special end-of-year celebrations, invitations to art shows and the like. The number of pieces of paper that come home in the school folder is simply astounding (Jen calls it a "tsunami of doom" - a fantastic description). I'm lucky that I work at home and have time to go through their bags when they come home, but for working mothers who arrive home at 7pm it must truly be a nightmare.
In the last week I've been asked (at short notice) for the following:
Littleboy 1 to make a "diorama"* involving sea creatures, with captions in full sentences describing their habitat, predators etc.
Littleboy 2 to write a story or poem for a scrapbook which will be presented to his teacher
A photo from every year of Littleboy 2's life to make a timeline (easier said than done when all your photos are digital)
Littleboy 1 to write/draw something about his teacher's forthcoming wedding, and me to go to a party in his classroom that the class moms are throwing as a "bridal shower", bringing plastic cups
That's not to mention remembering to get cards and gifts for both teachers, two piano teachers and the schoolbus driver....
At the same time the powers that be at my workplace have suddenly realised that I'm stopping in a month. Despite me asking them repeatedly for weeks what my role might be in London, it's taken them until now to think about it. The solution? Get me to do lots of extra work in the next few weeks so they might determine what that might be.
Oh, and it goes without saying that we're trying to prepare for the Big Move on top of all this.
Sigh.
How has June been for you so far?
*Are UK children asked to make dioramas? Or is this an American thing. Personally, I had never heard the word before moving here, but it might just be me. For those not in the know, it's a little scene, preferably contained in a shoebox, containing objects and things you've made, with captions.
9 comments:
The diorama is an American thing. I'd never heard the word before I had to help my son make a dinosaur diorama in 2nd grade. It sounds vaguely 1970s to me.
Diowhat??
As both a parent and a teacher, I can say wholeheartedly that I hate, hate, hate, the last month of school. It's as if all of a sudden everyone suddenly realizes that school's almost over and starts cramming in all the last-minute activities they can. Worst of all were the years when I was both teaching and parenting elementary-school-aged kids -it was a nightmare. Now that I'm associated with 2 international schools, the last month now also includes the ubiquitous going-away parties (one for the colleagues and one for the children) who are moving on to the next new place. Hope things calm down for you soon - and do your best to carve out a bit of 'me' time - don't overdo it! x
Diorama? We have made one once. I think it was called a shoebox scene. Luckily that was a one off because our African safari scene looked more like the inside of a volcano that had swallowed some plastic animals
Yes we had to make a diorama in year 3, finding a shoebox was the first issue...I found some tissue paper and some plastic toys came in useful. We as a class club together for the teacher's gift, so all in all less stressfull.
Diorama American? No we got dragged round a museum in Moscow where they spent hours talking us through the dioramas....
...school is all winding down here...so fortunately no gifts for teachers, no last minute homeworks or projects.
Fortunately, it's begun to warm up so we now have flowers...good luck with the packing, the organising and the work
No never heard of a diorama, heard of Dior though if that helps!
We are getting a lot less project/parent interaction work from school now as the children get older but we are getting more requests for money for trips now!
Diorama -not just USA, they are alive and kicking in the UK
Diorama - I did one for American history in 5th grade in 1965 of a pioneer corduroy road. I think I was a ten-year-old smart cookie because all I had to do was find sticks, break them, and line them up into a road inside the shoe box. Add my brother's toy wagon, horse, and Farmer Jack, and that was it. Got an A.
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