<p>re rewards
my kids both attended private school till 3rd grade- when younger one changed to public alternative
Their birthdays are literally one day apart and as I am not the most domestic even on good days, I have to admit that I don’t think routinely bringing in birthday treats was on my agenda.
( not to mention as my MIL will attest, I didn’t like cake or candy, and restricted their intake as I felt that especially the food coloring had negative effects)
Younger D, also was hypersensitive to * any* attention, she doesn’t like it, and forbade me from bringing treats for her birthday.
Someone earlier pointed out that our generation didn’t have treats in the classroom & I agree, I don’t remember it at all.
Now that I think about it more- I do remember bringing stuff on their birthdays, but I wouldn’t say it was every year, and since I don’t really bake, I probably was more likely to make up a baggie of gummy worms and stickers for each child, which I then could adjust for those with food sensitivities, then bake cupcakes for everyone.</p>
<p>Opie I agree that occasional food rewards aren’t the cause of food issues & I am really disappointed to hear that your wifes district is doing away with mixed grades.</p>
<p>My oldest attended two classrooms in elementary school.
One had two teachers- ( who had team taught for years), and it was K-3. She was in this classroom for two years. ( 1st & 2nd) The next year, they expanded a bit to another building, and she had one teacher in a 3rd-4th and 5th gd class for three years, when she then “graduated” and went to a different 6-12 school.
It was a wonderful experience for her.
I think however, that a teacher who can teach multi ages, is more skilled than one who has a single grade and teaches to the middle.
I think also that some parents don’t understand the potential benefits and are nervous about their kids being in with kids younger than them.</p>
<p>The reason that I chose the public alternative for my younger daughter-( who had attended a small private school for K-2- all mixed grades- they had teachers for different subjects) was because they had many ( and still do ) mixed grade classes. Unfortunately, despite my requests, she always was placed into the single graded classroom until 7th grade- where the school had three core middle school classes, where you stayed for both 7th & 8th grade.</p>
<p>I value mixed grades, because I think, kids learn a lot from being with peers where they can teach things to, and also learn from. As well as giving the classroom more continuity.
I think it must be much more challenging to run a successful classroom that way though, but how frustrating for teachers who are successful at it, who are then told that they can’t do it that way anymore.</p>