Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Which is sadder?

The following are actual email exchanges with my sons' first grade teachers

----- Original Message -----
From: Soccer Mom In Denial
To: Mrs. G, Ms. S
Date: Friday, November 30 2007 01:30 PM
Subject: could W and F's parents have conference on 12/14 in am?

Hi Mrs. G and Ms. S,

I'm writing for a favor. I was contacted by [room mother] to set up the parent teacher conference on 12/12 for F. She told me all the conferences were on the same day and that I may want to wait to see what times were available for W's so I could just be at school once and not multiple times.

I never heard from the other room parent and now can't be at the school during the remaining times.

I was wondering (hoping?) that [Amazing Guy] and I could come to the school on Friday 12/14 before the bell to meet with each of you - say 8:00-8:15 and 8:15-8:30. If that doesn't work, I understand.

And, again, I am mortified their homework was covered in peanut butter this week. Please accept my apologies and it won't happen again.

----- Original Message -----
From: Ms. S
To: Soccer Mom in Denial
Cc: Mrs. G
Date: Friday, November 30 2007 02:21 PM
Subject: Re: could W and F's parents have conference on 12/14 in am?

Hi SMID,
[Room parent] should have or should be contacting you soon, but the 14th works for me. I'll take the 8:00-8:15 if that's ok with Mrs. G??? No worries about the peanut butter it happens all the time! See you soon and have a great weekend!
Ms. S

----- Original Message -----
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:39:03 -0500 (EST)
From: Mrs. G
To: Ms. S
CC: Soccer Mom in Denial
Subject: Re: could W and F's parents have conference on 12/14 in am?

Hi SMID and Ms. S,
That works for me, too. Look forward to seeing you and your husband on the 14th at 8:15. I think it is great that you had F write an apology. That is a first for food on the homework! You are a good Mom!
Have a great weekend.
Mrs. G

----------------------------------------

Now which is sadder, that these first grade teachers often have homework turned in with food on it or there has never been an apology for food on the homework?

Either one is nasty.

14 comments:

Flower Child said...

Maybe the teachers were hungry and enjoyed the peanut butter on the homework?

Too funny! I don't recall ever turning in homework with peanut butter on it - but then maybe that's because the dog ate it (on account of it being so tasty).

jodifur said...

I'm just amazed arranging a parent teacher conference was so easy for you. I've heard horror stories from friends. DC is crazy though, I've decided.

Leslie said...

Want to hear nasty? My cat puked on my car payment once. (How'd that happen? You'd have to ask my three year old.) It had been all made out and sealed in an envelope with a stamp, so I cleaned it up as best I could and I mailed it. The bank probably thinks I must really hate making my car payment. Actually, I don't mind, I just have a three year old and a cat with a hair ball problem.

painted maypole said...

see.. now I read the first one as saying "it happens all the time" and the other as saying "that was a first"

Fourier Analyst said...

I would be (have been) so busy nagging my kids about food-covered homework that an apology letter would never cross my mind. I was amazed at the comments I got from Moms about the Thank-you notes my girls had to write for birthday presents! Miss Manners must be seriously troubled in her eternal resting place!!

No one told me that the semi-permanent state of embarrassment about my kid's behaviour/actions was part of the Mommy-job description

Virtualsprite said...

Wow... how lucky are you that your kids teachers understand parent scheduling and peanut butter on homework!

I'm so impressed that you had your kids write an apology. Kudos to you!

Wholly Burble said...

I suppose some teachers are so thrilled the homework got done, having food on it would be a small side issue. I know my sons would have been pleased to have their's finsihed on time, irregardless of food particles.

Jenn in Holland said...

Oh, crap, am I supposed to write apology letters about the food on the homework EVERY time it happens, or only the first time?

Hahahahaha! I actually laughed out loud at this as I had several reply slips for the After school activities program come in this week with food stains and particles. Hehe.

Goofball said...

oh gosh now I get strange visions of homework and peanut butter and chocolate spread and other breakfast items :p

AB said...

Sounds like your kids have very nice teachers. Isn't it great to have that kind of exchange though? Bet they don't often have parents who think to apologize for food on homework. And since many kids do their homework at the dinner table I am sure it is not at all uncommon.

Jan said...

Well with my 6th grade class, I wouldn't care if it was peanut butter or spinach... as long as they turned it in.... finished ! LOL


Jan

Anonymous said...

At first I thought it was a joke that the homework was covered in peanut butter.

Heh. So silly.

Jami said...

Dang! Flower Child stole my line.

Save this for later:

Dear ______________:
Please excuse the _____________ that was inadvertently _____________ on ___________'s homework last night. We have tried to remove as much as we could but since _____________ is notoriously _______________, you will see we did not have much success. Please be assured that we are endeavoring to ensure that hereafter all ____________ will remain in its proper place in our ____________ and should not find its way onto ___________'s homework again.

Thank you.


___________________

Jen said...

Standards are used for more pressing issues in these, our times, I'm afraid. Our latest issue isn't peanut butter, but the fact that my son leaves his homework out when the guinea pigs are running out for their "exercise time" in the evening, and his papers have been chewed a couple of times.